Spellbound
by The Minsk
Summary: AU. Finn Hudson never believed in magic, but that was before he met Rachel Berry.
1. Chapter One

DISCLAIMER: I neither own Glee nor the characters. They are the property of Ryan Murphy and FOX. This is purely for fun. Enjoy!

* * *

**Spellbound**

* * *

_Chapter One_

"I feel ridiculous," a harsh whisper ripped from Finn Hudson's lips as he walked behind his brother on the crowded streets of Greenwich Village. It was difficult to push his way through the crowds of drunks and hipsters that loitered on the pavement, and he blessed his height as it helped him spot Kurt in the dense crowd. The perfectly coiffed head of hair in front of him bounced to the beat of Kurt's lively steps as they made their way deeper into the side streets.

"You promised you would do this with me," Kurt commented over his shoulder, giving Finn a passing glance. Annoyance was marring his boyish features as he pinned his brother with a frown. "Besides, I think this could be a good experience for you. Who knows, you might learn something about yourself that you never knew before."

Finn's scoff was canceled out by the loud music seeping out of the bar they were passing. "I highly doubt it." His brother ignored him, and he took a moment to seethe in silence as they continued their quest. Finn knew himself quite well, thank you very much, and he didn't think that some crazy old lady was going to tell him something about himself that he didn't already know. At almost 25, Finn had been through his share of experiences, especially since he'd moved out to the city after college, and while he still didn't have a career like Kurt did, per se, he thought he was doing pretty okay for himself. As a bike messenger he got to explore parts of the city he'd never imagined seeing, and the pay was decent enough that he never needed anything. Living with his brother helped him cut his bills in half, and he was pretty content with the way things were.

Well, there was one thing he _did_ need. . .

"Maybe she can tell you why you haven't been sleeping," Finn frowned at Kurt's blunt statement, almost reading his mind, and had to nod his head despite himself. For some reason he hadn't gotten a decent night's rest in over two whole weeks, and it was starting to drive both him, and his brother, a bit crazy. Either Finn was walking the halls in a sleepwalking trance way into the early morning, or he was scaring his brother with terrifying nightmares that caused him to actually shout in his sleep. Never in his life had he experienced such sleep phenomena, even calling his mother in Ohio to ask about his sleep habits as a child. Something was wrong with Finn, and even after seeing a therapist and getting a prescription for Ambien, he still couldn't get any rest. "Maybe she can cleanse your aura too."

"I don't want this witch cleansing _anything_ of mine!" he yelled, grabbing the attention of some of the lingering people on the street as they stared at him. Finn looked above Kurt's head and saw the sign for _Tarot Card Readings_ as the color drained from his face.

"Finn Hudson, you sound ridiculously closed-minded right now! Just because one participates in certain facets of the Magical Arts does not mean she's a _witch._ Besides, she was highly recommended by one of my clients, who went to her for some crystal therapy."

"Crystal therapy?" He repeated it like there was something sour on his tongue.

"Yes, that's when she uses the natural power of crystals and geodes to purge the aura of any impurities."

"This is insane," he said to himself more than anyone else. "I shouldn't even be doing this."

"Well we came all the way downtown to see her, don't you want to at least try it?" Kurt shrugged his shoulders. "If it helps you get some sleep, could it really be all that bad?" Finn had to take a moment to contemplate his brother's words. It was getting to the point where he was starting to get desperate for _any_ kind of rest, and to be honest, he really hadn't been feeling like himself lately. Besides the fatigue that plagued him on a daily basis, it was like there was an energy inside of him that was draining him to the very core. His moods had been wildly irregular, and the dreams he'd been having were too terrifying to ignore any longer.

"Alright," he heaved a sigh of resolve and waved his hands towards the darkened establishment. It didn't even look like anyone was inside. "Let's just get this over with." Kurt grinned and opened the door, disappearing inside while Finn dutifully followed. The first thing he noticed, right away, was the pungent odor of the establishment, and as he took in the various items adorning the walls, he knew why. Roots, flowers, herbs and plants of all shapes, colors, sizes and odors were in mason jars on shelves that adorned the walls and reached the tall ceiling. On another wall there were gems and stones and crystals that he couldn't even name. They all twinkled in the dim lighting, and Finn felt a chill roll down his spine as he looked around in awe at the empty room.

"You're late," a small voice suddenly broke through the silence and scared the bejeezus out of him as he yelped and stepped backwards, almost walking into a giant table filled with candles. He hadn't even noticed the short, smiling young woman standing in front of him, almost as if she had materialized out of thin air. Her timid grin was kind, yet full of knowing, like she was in on a joke that he wasn't.

"Late?" Finn repeated dumbly, struck by her unique beauty as her features became more prominent in the dim lighting. She had long, dark brunette hair, the same color as her large knowing eyes, with a squared, angular jaw and full, rose-colored lips. Her most obvious feature was her nose, which was on the larger size for a girl that small, but he was more preoccupied with her sudden appearance than the way she looked. "How did you do that?"

"Do what?" She said, her grin growing wider as Kurt came up to them. Finn straightened himself out and watched his brother shake her hand.

"You must be Rachel!" He said while the girl nodded. Whatever Finn had been expecting, it definitely wasn't this tiny wisp of a girl in front of him. He thought the lady would be an older, wrinkly woman with missing teeth. This girl was actually quite beautiful, in her own creepy way. "I'm Kurt and this is my brother, Finn. I got your address from Martha." He said, name-dropping the client from his interior design company who had referred them to her.

"Ah, yes. It's a pleasure to meet you both," she said, turning to Finn and holding her hand out for him to shake. He was hesitant to do so, still intimidated by her sudden appearance, but he eventually took her hand and shook it casually.

The simple gesture made his head explode in a pain he had never felt before.

"Ah!" He pulled his hand from hers in an instant and gripped the sides of his head instead, the sudden, throbbing pain almost blinding him as his vision blurred. He shut his eyes while the pain wracked him, wondering what was causing it's sudden and unwelcome appearance. Never had he felt such a sudden, blinding pain before, and had no idea what could have caused it.

"Finn?" His brother asked in worried tones while he placed a hand on his shoulder. He opened his eyes and saw the girl staring at him with a dark expression in her eyes. For a moment, he thought the impossible.

Could she be the cause of this sudden, agonizing pain?

Shaking it out of his mind, the pain eventually subsided, and he took even, steady breaths in order to calm himself down. It must have been a side effect from his fatigue. Yes, that had to have been it.

"I'm fine," he said, gritting his teeth through the lingering discomfort. "Let's just get this over with." The girl frowned at him, but pulled aside a curtain so they could enter a secluded, back room.

"Then follow me," she said tightly, her voice dropping to a whisper. "If you think you could handle it." Seeing her words as a challenge, Finn knew he couldn't back down now as he walked past the girl and entered the back room.

He wasn't going to let this little witch intimidate him.

Not if he could help it.

* * *

Rachel sighed as the tall, stubborn man pushed past her into the back room. His brother, who was decidedly the more polite of the two, shot her a sympathetic smile before following after him, and to Rachel it would have to suffice. This wasn't the first time a non-believer had been in her midsts, but she'd always proved them wrong in the end thanks to her special gifts.

And there was nothing more satisfying to her than proving people wrong about her talents.

To be completely and totally blunt, Rachel was an honest-to-Goddess witch, and after nurturing her abundant powers over the years she had cultivated quite the name for herself in the community. A respected, talented, successful young woman, Rachel wanted nothing more than to share her gifts with the world and still maintain some sense of normalcy.

Which was too bad for her, seeing as a witch could never truly be normal.

There were the benefits of course; the instant gratification of always getting what she wanted, the powers that were sometimes so strong it intimidated even her, the petty revenge she was able to seek on people who had wronged her. But she would trade that in for _anything_ to enjoy the more simple things in life. Sleeping in a bed without having to worry about floating above it, dreaming about things and _not_ having them come true, being with a man and not watching him obsess over whether or not she had slipped him a love potion to enhance his affections.

She sighed deeply to herself. Sometimes the cons outweighed the pros.

But she couldn't just let her talents go to waste, which was why she had opened up her shop and offered her services. Normally she tried to stick to the Tarot Cards, not wanting to spook people too much with her witchy abilities, but her two latest customers were different, she could tell from the premonition she'd had that alerted her to their arrival. She could easily see herself becoming friendly with the shorter, skinny guy due to his easy demeanor. The tall one on the other hand, the one who was so handsome it made a sudden and violent heat rise to her cheeks, was definitely a non-believer, but there was something about him that made her hair stand on end.

And for a witch, that normally was a very bad sign.

So she wanted to get to know them as well as she could, which meant doing more than read their cards. She wanted to read _them;_ their thoughts, desires and dreams. All she had to do was get them to trust her and it would be all too easy.

They sat around a small table where she normally did her readings, and she lit some incense and candles in order to create the right kind of atmosphere. From the corner of her eyes she saw the tall one, Finn, fidget in his seat and her attention was immediately on him. He had warm, chestnut eyes, unruly dark hair, and his face was speckled with various birthmarks and freckles. When she shook his hand earlier she had sensed a most peculiar energy within him, and she wouldn't rest until she knew what it was, especially after his painful outburst.

"Well, let's get started," she said amicably while taking her seat across from them. "Who would like to go first?"

"Ooh, me!" Kurt's hand instantly shot in the air and Rachel suppressed a grin as Finn rolled his eyes liberally. "I want to go first." Rachel reached for the deck of Tarot cards and shuffled them, noting every expression of disbelief on Finn's face. She was going to _relish_ proving him wrong.

"Now cut the deck," she ordered Kurt, who executed his task perfectly. She dealt his cards, one by one, noticing the looks of intrigue on both of their faces. The reading began once she turned the first card over, and Kurt sat in rapt attention as she read what the cards dictated.

"You're entering a new part of your life right now," she closed her eyes and let the information flow through her as her powers spoke to her. "You're hiding something big from the people you love and you're afraid to tell them. You fear the consequences of your actions." Kurt's eyes opened in shock as Finn pinned his brother with a glare.

"Is she for real? What are you hiding, Kurt?"

"A lover," Rachel answered for them. "A lover who is younger than you are, that you've been seeing in secret for some time." She raised an eyebrow at him while her statement hit home and the man looked like he wanted to run. "A lover you met at work."

"How did you know?" He whispered in awe while she shrugged her shoulders.

"It's in the cards," she lied stealthily, turning the next one over. "He makes you happy. Happier than you've been in a long time."

"That's right," he was barely able to suppress his awe. "Blaine is an intern at the firm and I'm worried we might get fired if anyone finds out about us. He's two years younger than me but I care about him a lot."

"There are other reasons why you're afraid, though," she said, turning the next card over and trying to sense his aura. "You fear something you cannot control. Something you cannot see." She turned to Finn and even he looked engrossed. "Something to do with your brother." It was Finn's turn to look shocked as she tried her best to sense the energies swirling around the room. "That is why you're here."

"You're right," Kurt breathed. "Finn hasn't been sleeping lately and I'm getting really worried about him since no one has been able to figure out what was going on. We hoped you could help."

"Well, Tarot Cards won't be able to help you, Finn." She turned her attentions towards the handsome, doubtful man with a frown. His chiseled, angular features softened when their eyes met. "If you really want me to figure out what's wrong, we're going to have to try something different."

The distrust clouded his features instantly. "Like what?"

"You'll see," she said simply. She still wasn't done with her first customer yet and wanted to complete Kurt's reading like a professional. She flipped the next card over and spoke about his parents, the loss that she still sensed in him, and subsequently learned that Finn and he were brothers by marriage after his mother passed away.

The reading continued without error, and when it was over Rachel was proud of the stunned smile that pulled up his cheeks as he thanked her profusely. Finn still looked doubtful, and she was ready to figure out what it is that created so much fear inside the hearts of the two men before her. Their auras were swirling with anxious energy.

"Alright, Finn," she said with a heavy sigh. "Are you ready?"

The man answered her with a blunt scoff. "No, but I don't really have a choice, now do I?"

"Of course you have a choice," she said matter-of-factly. "I need your complete consent and trust If I am to perform this next task."

"Well then I need complete proof that you're not some crazy fraud out to mess with me and my brother." She placed her hands on her hips and frowned deeply, the offense pricking at her in an annoying fashion.

"You think me a liar?" She challenged.

"I don't believe in magic," he retorted.

"Well, then," she said crisply, "I guess I won't be able to help you." Kurt shot Finn an angry glare.

"You promised, Finn! You said you were willing to try _anything."_

"Yeah, I was, but this is nuts," he said, waving around at the decor.

"No, this is _real, _whether you believe it or not,_"_ she explained to him slowly, like she was talking to a child. "Now I will repeat myself once more. Are you willing to give me your permission, and your trust, to see if I can help you?" The man leaned back in his chair with a defeated sigh.

"Answer me one question first."

"Alright."

"Why did you say that we were late when we arrived here?" She raised an eyebrow and contemplated whether or not she should tell. Normally she kept some of her powers a secret, not to scare off the clientele. Being a tarot card reader and aura cleanser was one thing, but letting people know about the real power she was able to harness was completely different.

But she looked at the doubtful man and accepted his challenge, lifting herself to her full height in her chair before responding. "I had a premonition earlier today, about your visit. I had expected you both after dinner, but you arrived quite later than I thought you would."

He still didn't look convinced. "You expect me to believe this? That you had some freaky vision about meeting us?" She bristled at his blunt assessment of her powers and crossed her arms over her chest while Kurt looked on, amused.

"I expect you to have an open mind."

"All right, fine." He said, throwing his hands in the air as a sign of defeat. "What do you need me to do?"

* * *

The girl in front of him beamed, all traces of her previous annoyance gone, and for a moment he focused in on her pretty smile before she reached out for his hands, snapping him out of his momentary trance. Before tonight, he had considered magic to be nothing more than slight-of-hand tricks and fantasy. But here was a girl, sitting in front of him like it was just another night, who was seemingly reading his brothers mind and having visions about him.

Could it be real? Was she, in fact, a witch who practiced true magic?

"Give me your hands," she ordered, reaching across the table and waiting for him to comply. He let out a long, labored sigh and placed her hands in his. They were small, and warm as he held them, and for some reason an uneasy feeling passed through him when she closed her eyes and steadied her breathing. He glanced over at Kurt, who looked like all he needed was a bag of popcorn to munch on in order to make his night complete. "Close your eyes and let your mind wander. Try not to focus on anything. Let your thoughts guide you." Everything she was spewing sounded like horse shit, but he closed his eyes anyway and tried to do what she said. For a moment his mind went completely blank, and it almost felt like the pressure in his head had returned before everything was clear and calm inside of his head.

"Tell me about the nightmares, Finn," she said, and he startled since he couldn't remember mentioning any of his nightmares to her. But instead of freaking out he took a deep breath and answered her questions.

"There's something dark that's coming after me. Something I can't see, but I know it's there. A creature, a monster." He struggled in his recollection of the frightening images. "The ground opens up beneath me, and under my feet the floor is hot. It's like I'm about to drop right into the pits of hell and nothing can stop it." He had never voiced his nightmares aloud before now, and as he said the words he knew how stupid he must sound, but she didn't judge him or interrupt his description. "And the thing that chases me is evil. I know it is."

"Tell me about your ex-girlfriend." He was so stunned he almost dropped her hands completely, but he actually held onto them tighter as the image filled his mind. How could she have known about Quinn? This was starting to freak him out, but for some reason he continued to share his past with Rachel the witch.

"She said I was a loser," he repeated from memory, the pain still feeling raw as he thought about her. "Her name was Quinn and I thought she loved me. But last month, after I suggested that we move in together, she dumped me. She said I wasn't worth her time and moved to New Haven. It broke my heart." Rachel squeezed his hands tighter and the gesture soothed him.

"In doing so, Finn, this Quinn girl filled your aura with startling negativity. To be honest, I've never seen anything like it before. There are dark forces trying to manipulate this to their benefit, that's why you can't sleep. You're the most vulnerable in your sleep and it's your bodies way of protecting you from the negative energies inside of you. The nightmares are the manifestations of these entities."

"So you're saying I need an ex-girlfriend exorcism?" He opened his eyes to stare at her in disbelief and she did the same, only her eyes were twinkling with mirth as her full lips turned up in a soft smile.

"In a way. I'm going to purge the impurities from your aura and hopefully the dark forces won't be attracted to you anymore. It's really nothing."

"Whatever you say," he said with a shrug. "If it helps me sleep tonight I'll do anything." Tobe honest, this whole exchange wasn't even that bad, despite his first impressions. The girl in front of him smiled, and he couldn't help but notice how pretty it made her look. It was almost as if she had an inner light that illuminated her face with every grin, like her own personal halo. For a creepy witch, she was really cute.

"Alright, now close your eyes once more, and when you do it this time, I want you to think about the fear you feel at night when the nightmares come." He bristled for a moment, not wanting to seem too vulnerable, but Kurt nudged him in the side with his elbow and Finn knew that this was his last resort. He closed his eyes once more and remembered the feeling of panic he had felt while trapped in his nightmares. The dark creature was hunting him, and the threat of death lingered behind every corner.

But all of a sudden, the fear and panic had melted away, and it felt like a vice was loosening it's grip around his heart as a warmth entered his body that he couldn't describe. It was like floating in liquid heat, and it permeated every cell of his being as he exhaled deeply, a sudden, overwhelming feeling of ease washing over him. A weight had been lifted from his body, leaving him feeling awestruck at the sense of calm that flowed through him. Never in his life had he felt such content before, and for a moment he didn't know what to believe anymore. It was like he could feel her inside of him, healing his pain and easing his fears.

What the hell had just _happened?_

"You can open your eyes now," her voice called to him, trying to bring him out of the peaceful trance she had lulled him into while he basked in the calm that had settled in his mind.

"How do you feel?" Kurt asked as he dropped his hands from hers.

"Great," he answered truthfully, rolling his shoulders back and cracking them. He hadn't felt so relaxed in ages, like he got a full body _and_ soul massage. "Really freaking good actually."

He watched as her lips turned up in a smirk. "So I've made a believer out of you?"

"I don't know," he said, still stubborn in his doubtful ways. That wasn't _real_ magic, that was probably just some meditation mojo she'd picked up from too many yoga classes.

But if that was the case, then how did she know about the nightmares? And Quinn?

"We'll see how much sleep I get tonight," he continued, relying on doubt to cover up the fact that he couldn't rationally debunk _any_ of the events that had just transpired.

"Well, just remember, I don't do refunds," she winked at them and led them back into the shop, picking items off of the walls. "Here, hang this above your bed tonight. It should ward the spirits away." She passed him a bunch of herbs tied together with twine and he pinched his face in disgust as a robust odor wafted towards him. "And if you're still having problems sleeping then call me." She said, passing him a business card. "If we need to have a full-blown exorcism I know enough girls to make a coven."

"Sure," he said, stretching out the word longer than he had to. Half of what she was saying still sounded completely insane, and he refused to believe the hype until tomorrow morning, after he tried to sleep. Kurt paid the girl and she beamed, waving her right arm in a huge, over-exaggerated flourish as a huge gust of air blew the front door open. Finn wasn't quite sure whether it was real or a trick of the light, but part of him never wanted to step foot in her freaky shop again.

"Good night, Kurt! Good night, Finn! Sweet dreams!" Her enthusiasm followed them all the way out of the little shop, and when the door slammed shut behind him Finn clutched his goods in his hand and could barely believe what had just transpired. He had just met a witch! Well, at least it was someone who _claimed_ to be a witch, and despite the creeped-out feeling he experienced in her shop, she wasn't all that bad.

And here he thought all witches were green-skinned hags with warts of their noses.

Kurt and Finn headed back uptown towards their apartment, and Finn did what Rachel told him to do as he hung the bunch of herbs over his bed. Looking at himself in the mirror, he really couldn't help but notice how much more relaxed he looked. The dark circles under his eyes were gone, and his skin didn't look so pale anymore. He stretched his long limbs before climbing into bed, and with a tired sigh, let go of all the stress he had felt over the past few weeks as he relaxed into his sheets.

He was asleep before his head hit the pillow.

_It was the same dream again, he could tell as he walked through the familiar halls of his mind. An ominous feeling crept over him as he looked around in the darkness, and he could hear the creature scattering around the floor, it's claws scraping and making a ghastly sound as it stalked him. He started to run, wanting to escape like always, but as he turned the corner he could see a girl standing in front of him, wearing a white, billowing dress. She seemed familiar to him, and her smile was soft as she reached out for him._

_"Take my hand, Finn," she said, her voice soft and sweet. The girl was beautiful and he walked towards her without hesitation, knowing that she could save him from the darkness. He took her hand in his and the nightmare around him melted until all he could see was the brightest, warmest light shining around him and his companion, engulfing them both in it's welcoming glow._

He flipped over, lifting out of his sleep and groaning as a peaceful sense of calm settled inside of him. That had been the most restful night of sleep he'd had in ages, and part of him never wanted to get out of bed. It felt chilly in his bedroom, so he pulled his blanket up tighter, only to have it fall off of his body for some reason. When he reached over to grab it and felt nothing but air around his hand, he opened his bleary eyes against the sunlight and stared down at the messy comforter and scattered pillows of his bed.

Because he happened to be floating four feet above it.

* * *

Rachel woke up that morning like she usually did, floating a few feet above her bed and landing roughly on her mattress once she became fully conscious. She rubbed her head tiredly as she got up, trying to shake away the unsettling dream she'd had. It was about the customer from last night, Finn, and the dark energy she had felt within him. The urge to protect him within the dream had been so strong it scared her, and she could remember the way he had reached out for her hand, holding it tight. Hopefully her powers were able to help him, and she wondered if he had gotten the sleep he'd so desperately needed.

It was early, way before noon, and since the shop didn't open until later in the day Rachel had plenty of time to spare on her daily chores. Normally she spent her days shopping for new herbs and crystals and various sorts of talismans. She was always interested in learning new spells and practicing them during the solitude of her day. Baking was another one of her beloved hobbies as well, and for some reason she really wanted to make a batch of banana bread, even though it was never one of her favorites. Oh well, whenever she got an urge to do something she usually did it, because it was normally her intuitive powers warning her or preparing her for something and she always wanted to follow her instinct.

So she got up, dressed herself, and headed out of her apartment above the shop to go to the market to pick up some fresh ingredients. The morning was crisp, cool, and it served as the perfect preview for the rest of the fall. Autumn was her favorite time of the year, and she basked in the cool Manhattan breeze that whipped across her face while she carried her goods back to her apartment.

But when she turned onto her block an uneasy feeling washed over her, and she felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. Knowing that something was wrong, she approached her building slowly and saw a man standing outside of her shop, pounding on the door and windows frantically while calling her name.

A man who looked _very_ familiar to her.

"Rachel!" He screamed, pounding his fists on the door. "Where are you, you _tiny witchy person!_ What did you do to me?" Already feeling threatened and mildly offended, Rachel approached Finn, her customer from the night before, with determination in her eyes and visible anger on her face, her peaceful dream about him completely forgotten.

"Is there a problem here?" She said calmly, grabbing his attention as he leaped away from the shop like the paint on the walls had burned him. The look in his eyes was wild, panicked, and she sensed a fear in him that was probably overwhelming his rational thought. "I have neighbors and a reputation to uphold, so I would like it if you didn't refer to me as a _'tiny witchy person_' outside of my establishment." He had the sense to look ashamed as he rubbed the back of his neck and averted his eyes.

"Sorry," he said, and after she nodded her forgiveness he looked up at her and frowned. In the bright afternoon sun his features were much more defined, and she couldn't help but notice how handsome he was, despite the scowl that twisted his face. He practically dwarfed her with his six-foot-plus frame, and she noticed a large bike that was leaning against the front of her store, chained up to a pipe. "But I really need to talk to you. It's an emergency."

"Did you get any sleep last night? I told you I didn't do refunds."

"No, I got a ton of sleep, but that's not the problem." He looked around them, seemingly lost in his paranoia, and lowered his voice to a whisper. "The problem was that you did something freaky to me and now. . ." he trailed off, opting not to elaborate further.

"What? I assure you I really did nothing but a simple cleanse, so what happened?" He still wouldn't answer her, and she sighed liberally before pointing to the door that led to her apartment. "Would it make you feel more comfortable if we went upstairs to talk? The shop isn't open yet and I need to get this stuff upstairs so I can start baking."

He shrugged, looking uneasy, but eventually nodded. "Sure, I guess so." He nodded towards the bags. "What are you making?"

"Banana bread." His eyebrows shot up in surprise.

"Really?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Nothing, it's just that," he paused, almost as if he didn't want to tell her. "Banana bread is my favorite." She smiled to herself, thanking her intuition for being so informative. Everything happened for a reason in Rachel's life, and her magic sometimes worked in mysterious ways.

"Come on," she said, leading the way into the building. He followed her in silence, but she could tell that Finn was more than a little uneasy as he trailed behind her. His aura was swirling with nervous energy and she noticed his hands shaking. When they entered her apartment he looked around the space wildly, like he was expecting her to live in a cave or a dungeon. She placed her bags on the counter and turned to face him with a small frown.

"What were you expecting? A moat with trolls under the bridge?"

"Well, I mean," he looked around sheepishly at the modestly decorated apartment adorned in shades of cream and pastel yellow. "Your store downstairs is kind of weird, but this seems pretty normal."

She let out a weary sigh. Finn was just as judging and dismissive as all the other people she'd met over the years. Why did she think, even for a second, that he would be different? "Well, I try to be as normal as I can. Why don't you have a seat? We can talk." He sat down on the sofa and she sat across from him on the loveseat, hoping that he could relax long enough to open up to her. Something had obviously scared him enough to warrant this visit, and she wanted to know if her cleansing had achieved it's desired affects. "Do you want something to eat or drink?"

"No, thank you," he shook his head.

"So tell me how you slept last night."

"I slept great," he said angrily, his sudden shift in mood shocking her. "I slept better than I have in weeks. It's a damn miracle."

"So what's the problem?"

His eyes flashed angrily. "The problem is that I woke up floating four feet above my mattress this morning, waving my arms and legs around until I dropped out of the air like a rock!" Rachel stared at him in stunned silence, his statement completely shocking her.

That certainly was a strange development.

"Are you serious?"

"As a heart attack! Now tell me, what exactly did you do to me?"

Feeling offended, Rachel stubbornly turned her nose up at him. "I did absolutely nothing to you, Finn. I performed the same aura cleanse that I do with all of my clients, and they have never once reported such side effects to me afterwards."

"So how do you explain the fact that I can fly now?" She narrowed her gaze at him, growing more annoyed by the minute.

"Levitation and flight are two completely different things. Maybe some of my energy lingered inside of you after our exchange last night. I've never heard of such phenomena happening to non-magickal individuals and hopefully it will pass."

_"Hopefully it will pass?"_ He repeated incredulously, his anger spiraling. "You have to fix this! You turned me into a freak like you!" She felt the sting of his words swiftly and painfully, once again feeling like an outcast in a world that didn't, _couldn't,_ understand her. She cursed her fragile emotions as tears filled her eyes and the gallon of milk that was still sitting on the counter exploded, the white liquid splattering all over her kitchen as her powers and emotions began to affect the natural world around her. Jolting in surprise, Finn stared at her, an instant apology on his face, but she chose not to see it as her anger piqued.

"You can leave now," her voice was cold as she spoke and the lights began to flicker in tandem. "It's the height of rudeness to offend a host in their own home and I don't think I'll be able to help you." Finn looked more than a little intimidated, but instead of backing down he stood his ground. She had to give him points for bravery; most people would have run for the hills at her blatant show of power.

"Look, I'm sorry about what I said. I'm just freaking out over this and I don't know what to do. I need your help."

"So you might want to try _not_ offending the person who you need help from. To be perfectly honest, I don't even know what I can do to help you. I've never heard of this happening before." He looked absolutely despondent and despite the sting of his hurtful words, part of her _did_ want to help him. It's not like he could go to a doctor about a problem like this, and it most certainly had to do with magic of some kind. But if he was going to do nothing but doubt and offend her, then maybe she shouldn't bother offering her services.

"Rachel, I didn't mean what I said. You're not a freak. _I'm_ the one who was floating above his bed this morning, and I'm sorry that I offended you. To be honest, I never really act like this; lately it feels like someone else is speaking _for me_ and I can't control it or the mood swings I've been having. I promise you I'm not really this much of a jerk, and I just want everything to go back to normal." She stayed silent, not disclosing her own experiences with levitation as a self-preservation tactic. Rachel couldn't be sure that she could trust this man, even though he was the cutest guy she had met in a long time and already knew about her secret. "I really have no where else to go." He reached over for her hand and she allowed him to take it, noticing how his large palms seemed to swallow hers. _"Please,_ Rachel." She looked into his eyes and saw nothing but pure sincerity in them as she shook off the rest of her lingering annoyance with this frustrating man. Sure, he was stubborn and doubtful and slightly rude, but he was obviously experiencing something strange and since it was in the area of her expertise, she was willing to help.

"Alright, come back later tonight, after my shop opens. I have some books down there that we can use for research and we'll see if there's a spell I can use to cast away this lingering power inside of you."

He looked more than a little wary. "You're going to cast a spell on me?" Rolling her eyes liberally, she couldn't disguise the annoyance in her tone as her patience began to wane.

"God, Finn, I'm trying to help you not turn you into a toad! If you want my help you're going to have to be less judgmental and more open-minded. If you can't trust me then I won't help you."

"I know, I'm sorry," he rubbed the back of his neck and she could feel his anxiety emanating from him. "This is just so hard to believe."

"Well, the proof is right in front of your eyes, Finn. It's up to you to either dismiss it or believe it, but I can't help you if you choose to be ignorant." She looked over at him and noticed that he was staring at her in the most peculiar way, like he was analyzing a painting or a sculpture to point out all the details.

"You really _are_ a witch, aren't you?" He asked in a daze, almost as if he was realizing it for the first time. Rachel was used to people judging her and offending her, but she wasn't used to people coming to grips about her powers. Most people thought she was nothing but a fraud and a kooky tarot card reader, not a full-blown powerful spellcaster.

No one _really_ believed in magic anymore. Except for maybe Finn now.

"Yes, Finn." She said slowly, feeling vulnerable as she exposed her secret. "I am."

"Then I'll be back tonight," he said firmly, lifting himself from the couch and dropping her hand. She forgot that he'd been holding it, and her skin tingled from the loss of contact.

"Alright," she said, hoping he didn't notice her blush. She couldn't remember the last time she met a man who knew that she was a witch and _didn't_ run away from her screaming, but she figured he just needed her help too badly to care. "I'll bring the banana bread."

"Cool," he said, his smile tight as he headed towards the door. "See you then." She walked him to the door and they said goodbye, and Rachel sighed deeply as she shut the door behind him, wondering if she could even help the handsome, anxious young man. Never in her life had one of her clients complained about strange side affects after a simple cleanse, and she wanted to know if it was indeed her fault, or if something else was wrong with this Finn Hudson.

But first, she had some spilled milk to clean up in the kitchen.

* * *

I have no idea how long this fic is going to last, but hopefully I can finish it before Halloween like all my other supernatural fics. I'm getting started early this year.

Don't stop reviewin'!


	2. Chapter Two

DISCLAIMER: I neither own Glee nor the characters. They are the property of Ryan Murphy and FOX. This is purely for fun. Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter Two**

* * *

The rest of the day was spent in a fog as Finn rode his bike around the city and tried to come to grips with what was happening to him. Every time he tried to rationalize the strange phenomena that was occurring in his life he came up empty, and the only solace he had was the fact that he didn't have to go through all of it by himself. Rachel was going to help him, and the thought brought him some much-needed comfort while his world spiraled into a tailspin.

As unbelievable as it all seemed, Finn was truly relying on Rachel to help him in some way, whether her aide be practical or magical. Before now he had never thought magic was real, but the little witch from Greenwich Village continued to prove him wrong on all fronts, and was slowly making a believer out of him. To be honest, he kind of felt bad about the way he had treated her since their initial meeting. Rachel had done nothing but exhibit her powers to help him and he'd offended her at every turn; calling her names and doubting her powers when the proof was right in front of his face. He didn't know what had possessed him earlier when he called her a freak in her own apartment, but lately it felt like there was something else besides him that was controlling his emotions and the things he said, and being around Rachel made his anger spike and explode in frightening ways. Something behind the scenes was pulling Finn's strings like a puppet, and he was powerless to stop it as it wreaked havoc on his life.

He hated it. Whatever this thing was had him floating above beds and yelling at tiny adorable witches and he just wanted it to stop so everything could go back to normal.

He stopped his bike on the corner of the road as this tumultuous thoughts entered uncharted territory. Did he just think of Rachel as _adorable?_ Well, she was kind of cute with her big eyes and flowing, gypsy-like clothing, and she was pretty much the only person in New York who could help him with his little problem, so at least he knew that he needed to get on her good side and spend more time with her. No more crazy outbursts or mood swings around her; he needed to take control of his emotions and stop allowing himself to be so vulnerable. When that happened he seemed to get caught in his own verbal vomit, which only made him feel worse about the way he was treating her. There was obviously something, something dark and creepy that he couldn't explain, that was taking advantage of Finn. While his first instinct was to deny that anything was happening, he needed to learn to just trust Rachel and do what she said. As long as he kept his emotions in check and continued follow her directions, hopefully everything would be alright.

After he finished his shift Finn headed downtown, stopping by the local corner shop to pick up something for Rachel as a kind of peace offering. It was kind of cheap, but a small bouquet of flowers was clutched in his fist as he chained his bike up outside of her creepy shop, a shiver shaking down his spine before he entered the establishment. Unlike earlier that afternoon when he had banged on the blackened windows, the shop was now open for business, and he peeked his head inside to see Rachel waiting patiently for him behind the counter. After shooting him a soft smile, he entered her shop and silently passed her the meager bouquet. Her large, chocolate brown eyes were wide as she accepted them, and he spotted a light blush on her cheeks as she lifted them to her nose to smell.

"Are these for me?"

"Yeah," he said, rubbing the back of his neck. "I was a real jerk earlier today and I felt bad. I know girls like flowers and stuff, so I hope this can make up for my stupid mouth. I'm sorry." She stared at the flowers for a long moment before raising her eyes to his, and the emotion he saw there made a lump swell in his throat as joy lit up her features. Whispering a quick _"Thank you,"_ she took the flowers into the back room and swiftly brought them out in a vase with fresh water, placing it on the counter-top with a glowing smile.

"They're beautiful, Finn. Thank you so much." Her praise made him feel awkward, since he didn't feel like he deserved any of it.

"No, it's nothing," he said bashfully. "We got off to a bad start and I want us to be able to trust one another." Nodding in agreement, he noticed that she was toying with an older flower that was already starting to wilt, and he watched in awe as she touched the petals and brought the dying flower back to life. Her eyes were still glowing, but not just with joy this time; her magic filled up the room, making his heart race in his chest as tendrils of power wrapped around him. Before now he'd been freaked out by her powers, but now it amazed him in a way that he had never experienced before. She was living, breathing proof that magic was real. How could he judge her for that?

"So you want to get started?" She asked suddenly, snapping him out of the trance he had accidentally fallen under as he stared at the perfectly bloomed flower that had been limp mere seconds before.

"Huh?"

"The research?" She prodded. "I brought the banana bread." He nodded his head and tried to stay focused on the task at hand.

"Yeah, the research. Right." _Come on Hudson,_ he said to himself. _You didn't come here to ogle the witch all night, you came to get some answers. _They went into her back room and sat at the table where Kurt had gotten his tarot cards read to him. Rachel pulled out numerous volumes of old, leather-bound books from her shelves, plopping them onto the table while Finn's eyes went wide.

"Can't we just look this stuff up on the Internet?" He asked, grabbing a slice of banana bread from the table and shoving half of it into his mouth. The baked treat was fresh and still warm, and it melted on his tongue as he chewed and rolled his eyes in bliss. It was the best damn banana bread he had ever put into his mouth and quickly ate another.

"I highly doubt we would find what we were looking for," she said matter-of-factually. "The last time I tried to look up important information on the Internet it brought me to a cosplay website for the tv show _Charmed."_ She stared at the large books with determination in her gaze. "It's better to stick to the books. I know it might take long, but I made two loaves of Banana bread, so that should last us the night."

"I don't know," he tried to tease, "I can pretty much eat my weight in baked goods." She looked up at him and pulled her lips up into a pretty smile.

"I'll remember that for next time." For a moment he was just content to share an easy smile with her, but all of a sudden a blinding pain shot through his skull, just like what had happened the night before, making him shout in surprise as he gripped his forehead in agony. Looking up at Rachel, a sudden and overwhelming anger coursed through him, summoned right from the depths of his soul and directed solely at her. For a fleeting, yet terrifying moment, all he wanted to do was reach over and wrap his hands around that little witch's throat, squeeze, and watch as her powers drained from her, along with her life. . . He wanted to steal her powers for himself, and destroy the only threat against his success. . .The room around him was becoming dark and hazy, and the anger was spiraling out of control as the need to kill took over. . .

"No!" He screamed, trying to ignore the unwelcome, unnatural urges and blinking away the horrible images that accompanied them. _"No!"_

"Finn?" A voice called to him, breaking through the anger and the hate. "Finn, what's wrong?" He blinked a few times and the room slowly came into focus again. The sudden fury he'd experienced was slowly leeching out of him, and it was another few moments before he realized that Rachel was cradling his face with her hands, forcing him to look right into those giant brown orbs of hers. It only filled him with even more guilt when he thought about his swift and violent urge to drain the life from those very knowing, very passionate, eyes, and he panted as he tried to catch his breath.

"I-It took control again," he gasped, the pain in his head slowly ebbing. "Whatever is wrong with me. . .," he hesitated. "It's getting _worse."_ A certain sense of hopelessness seeped into his bones as he thought about what had just transpired; what if Rachel couldn't help him? What if he was slowly losing himself until nothing was left but an empty murderous shell?

"We're gonna fix this, Finn," she reassured him, removing her hands from his face. He missed the contact instantly, and but remained calm in her presence. He could only assume that she had used some of her powers on him to snap him out of that terrifying trance. If she hadn't. . . "Come on, let's get started."

He didn't complain this time as he picked up a volume and started his research, trying to decipher the ancient books and find a spell that could help him. When he finally calmed down he ate another piece of banana bread and closed his eyes in bliss as the heavenly flavor hit his tongue.

"This banana bread is great," he mumbled through a stuffed mouth. "Did you put some kind of tasty potion in this or something?" He meant to make a joke, but she didn't look amused as she stared at him from across the table. In fact, she seemed a bit hurt, and annoyed as well, while her lips turned out in a pout.

"No," her tone was clipped as she answered. "I wouldn't do something like that."

"I didn't mean. . ."

"People accuse me of things like that all the time, you know?" Rachel continued, turning the pages of the book she was reading while avoiding eye contact with him. "They lose their job? _Oh, Rachel must have hexed me!_ They meet someone new? _Oh, Rachel must have slipped me a love potion!_ They break up with someone?_ Oh, Rachel cursed our relationship, that jealous witch!_" She shook her head, the sadness lingering around her like a cloud of despair. "Most people find some way to blame me for their issues, one way or another."

"Hey," he said, trying to pull her out of her melancholy. "I didn't mean that in a bad way. I was just trying to make a joke, and a lame one at that."

"Well you're no different," she snapped angrily. "You came banging on my door this morning blaming me for your misfortunes, too!" Once again the shame rippled through him and he sighed heavily.

"I was scared and confused, but I don't think you're out to get me. I need your help, remember? I wouldn't be here if I thought you were trying to ruin my life or something. It's already screwed up enough as it is." She nodded her head, still clearly sad, and he wondered if she had many friends to turn to outside of her profession. From the way she spoke about other people, he highly doubted that she was the popular type. There was an air of loneliness around her that made Finn feel even worse about the way he had treated her, and he wanted to make things right between them.

"So let's try this again." He coughed, clearing his throat. "Rachel, this banana bread is so delicious, it's like you cast a spell over my taste-buds. In the_ best_ way possible," he added quickly. Rachel fought against the smile that was pulling up her cheeks and lost the battle, succumbing to his lame joke and laughing despite herself.

"Thank you, Finn. I accept your compliment."

"How come you're not eating any?"

She shrugged, her eyes focused back on her book. "It's not my favorite. To be honest I woke up this morning almost _needing_ to bake it and it was only after I bought the ingredients when I found out that it was your favorite. It's just another way my powers like to sneak up on me and show off. I much prefer red velvet cupcakes myself." He nodded, tucking that information away in the back of his brain for future reference. Finn had a feeling that he was going to have to suck up to this woman hardcore if he was going to get the help he needed. Especially since she hadn't mentioned a method of payment yet.

"So," he said, trying to make light conversation. "Is everyone in your family a witch?"

She looked up at him and shrugged her shoulders. "I wouldn't know. I'm adopted."

He hadn't been expecting that answer. "Oh really?"

"Yeah, and believe me, my two gay dads were _not_ ready to have a daughter with full blown magical powers, but they did their best trying to raise me. It wasn't easy, but I was loved and I knew I always had a home. I adore my parents, but they know very little about my world and after I moved out, I never went back. Everything I know about magic I had to teach myself." A deep sigh escaped her lips. "To be honest, it wasn't that bad, but it sure would have been easier if they knew what was going on with me when I was younger, especially as a teenager. Being a witch during puberty _definitely_ had it's pitfalls."

"I bet." She didn't elaborate further on her past, so he dropped the subject. He didn't want to pry into her personal life, but since she was the most fascinating person he had ever met, he was bound to be a bit curious.

After another hour of quiet studying where the only noise in the shop was Finn munching on banana bread, Rachel jumped in her seat and pointed at the page she was reading. Finn had been re-reading the same paragraph for fifteen minutes and still couldn't understand what it was about, so he was glad for the distraction.

"I think I found something!" She said, her eyes scanning over the page. "Yes, this is it. I can use this spell to figure out what's wrong with you." _Well, it was a start. . ._

"And then?" She hesitated and bit her lip.

"Then. . . we'll figure it out from there." Finn wasn't solaced, but at least she found a spell that could help. She started to walk around the back room and pulled various items off of the shelves, balancing them in her arms before she brought them over to the table. In a large black bowl, one that looked suspiciously like a tiny cauldron, she started to pour some items inside of it, adding fragrant oils and crushing them together to make a paste. Finn wrinkled his nose at the odor rising from the bowl, but kept his mouth shut as not to offend Rachel. She might have been a bit _weird,_ but he had a feeling that she was just a regular girl who was wildly misunderstood because of her magical heritage. When she was finished making the fragrant paste, she looked up at him and mischief was dancing in her eyes.

"Are you ready for my favorite part?"

Finn exhaled deeply, nodding his head and preparing himself for the worst.

"I guess so," he answered. "What do you need me to do?"

Her wicked grin sent shivers down his spine, and the glint in her eyes suddenly made Finn feel uncomfortable. "I need you to get naked."

* * *

"Whoa," Finn said, standing up from the table with his hands stretched out in front of him. "Whoa. _No._ I did not sign up for this."

Rachel shrugged her shoulders and stifled a laugh, noticing how flustered her customer was getting. She didn't want to embarrass him, but messing around with this Finn guy was way too easy, and it had been a while since she felt so carefree with someone who wasn't a part of the magical community. Hell, she was surprised he even came back to the shop, seeing as their first impressions of one another weren't the most encouraging. When he gave her the flowers upon his arrival she almost couldn't believe it; when was the last time any guy went out of their way to do something nice for her? Plus, he'd mentioned that _girls_ liked flowers, not witches or sorcerers or anything like that. It made her feel normal for once, just a girl getting flowers from a guy, and it was a feeling that she enjoyed a lot.

So when she saw Finn pacing around her store like she had threatened to flay him skinless, she couldn't control her laughter. He obviously had some issues with his body and she found it endearing rather than annoying.

"Aren't we shy?" She teased. He fixed her with an angry glare.

"You never mentioned _anything_ about me being naked!" He seethed, his fists clenched at his side.

"Well you have to do it for two reasons," she explained. "First, it allows your body to be as open as possible so I can pull your aura to the surface to read it and pick it apart. Second, this paste will help begin the process and I need to put it on your skin. I don't want your clothes to get messy." He looked like he was going to argue, so she sighed and unloaded the big guns on him. "Don't worry, I'll be getting naked too."

His mouth snapped shut and he stared at her with an eyebrow cocked in disbelief. "Really?"

"Yes," she reassured him. "Magic like this is more powerful when there are no barriers between you and the elements. Trust me, I do this all the time." He didn't look like he believed her.

"You cast spells on naked men in the back room of your shop?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "And women too, but yes. It happens with more frequency than I care to admit." A crimson blush appeared on her cheeks when she thought about her past clients and there was a matching tint on Finn's cheeks as well. Nodding slowly, she watched the emotions play out on his face and instinctively knew that he was going to concede to her.

They always did, sooner or later.

"Alright, fine." His face was as red as a tomato, but she led him to the center of the room, where a large white pentagram was painted onto the floor. He stood in the center of the five points and sighed as he pulled his shirt over his head.

"Now stand still," she got close to him and smeared some of the paste on his shoulders and down his arms, ending at the wrists. As she invaded his personal space she tried to stay as emotionally detached as possible, but it simply wasn't working as her eyes drifted across his frame. She had no idea why he was so self conscious because his body was _flawless;_ every muscle was sculpted to perfection and she couldn't deny the quickening of her pulse as she dragged her fingers over his flesh. With stilted breaths she continued the ritual, but her senses were being filled with Finn and it was a feeling that she welcomed as her body flushed warm. He was so masculine, so tall and handsome. Being this close to him was _definitely_ a perk of the job.

"Alright," she said sternly. "Drop the pants." He looked like he was going to argue with her but eventually obliged, hooking his thumbs in the loops of his jeans and yanking them off with a crimson tint on his cheeks. She tried not to look at him, truly she did, but her eyes wandered towards places they shouldn't have been and it felt like the temperature in the room had suddenly risen a few degrees.

_Being in the presence of a man so perfect should be a mandatory practice for all women, _she thought to herself. His hips were cut and sculpted, his legs were toned and thick from all the biking he did for his job, and as her gaze lingered on his crotch she learned that he was _very_ generously endowed.

And now at least she had some new fantasies to entertain when she was alone.

"Do you like what you see?" His arrogant tone pierced through the fog in her mind and she shook the distraction away as she put more paste on her fingers.

"Don't flatter yourself," she said dryly, even though she was trying to hide the heated blush on her cheeks. A thrill passed through her as she dragged her fingers down his thighs, smearing more of the herbal paste on him. His skin was smooth and hot under her touch, and her body was reacting to his presence in earnest as ripples of need echoed through her. It had been so long since she had been with a man that she couldn't even remember when her last hook-up had been. She'd never been able to hold onto a guy for long; not many men wanted a witch as a girlfriend, and she gave up trying to date just to save herself the heartache and disappointment.

When she was finished applying the paste to his chest, arms and legs, she stood on her tiptoes and decorated his face with the remaining concoction, their bodies getting dangerously close to one another because of his height. His eyes were fixed on hers as she placed some on his nose and forehead, and the air between them became thick as she stared into his warm cinnamon eyes while brushing the paste over his brow. She had to force herself to look away from him, and when she was finally finished she stepped back to appraise her work. His body looked like it was tattooed in thick green finger paint, and her eyes lingered on his flawless frame for way longer than they had to.

"This stuff stinks," he commented lightly, not noticing her blatant stares.

"Don't worry, it will be worth it. Are you ready?"

"I guess so," he replied, shuffling awkwardly from foot to foot in the center of the pentagram. Her gaze was trained on his face so it wouldn't wander south to his crotch again, and she took off her flowing peasant blouse and long maxi skirt so they were at the same level of nakedness. She felt his eyes roam over her body but experienced no shame. This definitely wasn't the first time a client saw her naked, but none of them were as attractive, or as desperate for her help, as Finn was. For a moment the atmosphere between them was stifling, and she noticed his focused gaze lingering on her breasts, so she decided to start the ritual and dispel whatever sexual tension was building around them before things became awkward.

"Alright, Finn. Close your eyes and take deep breaths," she ordered, watching as he followed her commands. The herbal paste was already bringing his aura up to the surface, and the air around Finn was starting to shimmer and glow with his energy. "Now I want your mind to detach itself from the physical world. Think of nothing except the way you feel." His aura was swirling around him in a thick haze, and she could see a wisp of dark energy circling around his aura. That was what she needed to focus on. She began to manipulate the flow of his aura by concentrating on the dark energy alone, with the help of the herbal concoction. Some of his aura dissipated, sinking back inside of him, but the dark energy was stronger than ever as she pulled at the tendrils of power. Closing her eyes, she reached out to it, to see what it was, and when she opened her eyes again the image of Finn in front of her had shifted into something completely different and wholly terrifying.

Standing in Finn's place was a creature; the same one that Finn had described in his dream. A humanoid, hairless, featureless monster that skittered around on it's emaciated arms and legs like a beast. There was writing on it's chest and back, tattooed in an ancient language that she didn't recognize, and it slowly stood up on it's crooked legs until it was eye level with her. It's lip-less mouth was bloody and filled with pointed teeth, and it's black, soulless eyes stared right into her, grabbing her, trying to seize control of her like it had taken Finn. . .

She screamed, stumbling backwards, tripping over her feet and dropping her naked butt onto the floor. Her entire body was shaking as she pulled her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around them, curling her body into a ball of limbs. The disconcerting, evil feeling that lingered inside of her made her skin crawl with disgust, and she couldn't control the terrified tears that leaked out of the corners of her eyes.

Rachel had come in contact with creatures and spirits before, but _never_ had it terrified her quite like this. Whatever that being was, it had been the purest evil she had ever come in contact with in all of her experience with witchcraft, and she was officially scared for both her safety and Finn's.

_Especially_ Finn's.

"Rachel?" Finn's voice filled the room, and when she looked up again at where the creature had been lurking she stared into the worried eyes of her client, who seemed more than a little anxious as Rachel trembled on the ground. He walked towards her but she put her hand up to stop him and her powers worked of their own accord, gently pushing him backwards until he was on the opposite side of the room, as far away from her as possible. He looked slightly hurt, and extremely vulnerable in his birthday suit, but she was still shaking as a feeling of terror seeped into her bones.

After a few minutes where Rachel had to force herself to calm down, she finally pulled herself up from the floor and slipped her skirt and blouse back on. Finn was still standing around awkwardly, as naked as the day he was born and covered in oily herbs, but he didn't complain as she finally shook away any lingering discomfort and dried her tears. That experience had shaken her to her very core, and for a moment she didn't know whether or not to tell Finn the truth about what she saw. There was a good chance that he might not be able to handle what was happening to him, but she had promised to help, and he was patiently waiting for an explanation.

"I'm sorry, Finn. I just needed a few moments. You can come over here now." Finn hesitated before stepping towards her, his eyes filled with questions she didn't know how to answer. A pang of sympathy shot through her at his plight and she reached for his hands, wanting to comfort him in some way, even though he didn't know the truth yet. His entire being seemed tense, and despite his nakedness, she squeezed his hands softly and looked him in the eyes. "Go clean yourself off and get dressed. We'll talk when you come back out." Finn nodded, even though it looked like he wanted to argue with her and demand she tell him in the nude. When he disappeared into the bathroom she let out a huge exhale of breath, dragging her hands over her face in despair.

Rachel had never been so worried about a client before, and now she didn't know if she could even help him as she slowly came to terms with what was happening to Finn.

It took a while for him to scrape the herbal paste off of his skin, but Finn eventually exited the bathroom fully clothed and joined Rachel in the back room, sitting down at the table while she sat across from him. He looked somber, and slightly scared as he waited for her to speak.

She couldn't even find the words to begin their conversation.

"So what happened?" He asked finally, his voice hollow. "Why did you scream like that? Why did you push me away from you?"

She took a deep breath, nodded her head, and tried to explain. "Remember when you joked yesterday that you needed an ex-girlfriend exorcism?"

He nodded. "Yeah."

"Well, you weren't that far off," she said dryly, her voice full of hesitation. "There's a demon, Finn, a creature from hell that has attached itself to you. It's trying to possess your soul and if it succeeds, then you're going to _die_."

He stared at her for a moment in silence, and she watched his cheek pull up in a half-grin filled with doubt. "You're joking," he scoffed. "That's impossible," when she didn't reciprocate his smile, the one on his lips faded away. "It _is_ impossible, right Rachel?"

"I'm _so_ sorry, Finn," she grabbed his hand, trying to give him the solace he needed as his face fell. "I saw some kind of language on the demon's chest and I'm going to continue my research to see if I can't find some way to fight it, but it's already too powerful for me to try to take it on myself."

"Can't you just give me an exorcism or something?" He asked, his voice rising with his panic. "You promised you would help me."

"I will," she reiterated, feeling his anxiety stifle the room. "But I can't do it alone."

"Why?" She took a deep breath, trying to explain.

"As a magical being, I'm already vulnerable to dark influences, and if I try to fight against it by myself then it might try and take _me_ as well. Then we would _both_ be dead and suffering in eternal damnation, and that's something that I would very much like to avoid." The more she explained the more panicked he looked, and she wanted nothing more than to make all his frustration go away, but she couldn't. The risk was too high, the consequences too severe.

"So I'm going to die?" He asked quietly with his head down, completely despondent. She squeezed his hand even tighter and forced him to look at her.

"No, Finn. I am going to do everything in my power to make sure this _thing_ doesn't take you."

"Like what?" He asked. "You said you couldn't get rid of it by yourself."

"Yes, but as long as we keep your soul cleansed and balanced, then we can keep the demon from gaining any more power. Think of it as _magical therapy;_ you'll come to my shop for a daily cleanse and I'll cast protection spells on you and your apartment. As long as we keep up the routine we can keep the dark energies at bay, and I'm going to contact some peers I know in the magical community and ask them for help. It might be a while until we can find enough people who are willing to perform a real exorcism, but it'll definitely be worth the wait."

He frowned deeply. "Is that why I woke up floating this morning? Because of the demon?"

"It could be, but I doubt it. Levitation during sleep is something that really only happens to witches and warlocks. I'd have to do more research."

"Warlocks?" He repeated the foreign word. "I thought they were called wizards."

"No, that's only in _Harry Potter,_" she corrected patiently. "Warlocks are rare, but powerful."

"Does it happen to you? The floating thing?" He asked and she blushed in embarrassment. Normally men didn't know that she levitated in her sleep until she spent the night with one of them and woke up the next morning to their screams. It was one of the reasons why she never got too serious with men nowadays; everything went well until she slept over and they learned the truth for themselves.

"Every night," she deadpanned. He nodded and got lost in his thoughts again.

"And the pain in my head and the mood swings I've been having. . . that's the demon?"

"Yes," she explained. "Your head has been hurting because the demon knows I'm a threat and wants you to stay far away from me. He _definitely_ doesn't like me, and I've been sensing his negative vibes since the moment you entered my shop. It's how he controls you, through pain and anger." Nodding his head, she could almost see the wheels turning in his brain as he processed the information.

"So let me get this straight; In order for me to make sure that this demon doesn't completely possess me and drag my soul into hell, I have to come back here every night for magic therapy, get my aura cleansed, cast protection spells on my apartment, and _even then_ I might still be floating above my bed every morning?"

"Yeah, that sounds about right." Finn pulled his hand away from Rachel's and she instantly missed the contact. Her skin tingled as she watched the conflict play out over his features. It took him a while to come to grips with what was happening to him, but he eventually nodded in defeat.

"Okay," he said crisply. "Fine."

"Fine?"

"I'll come back tomorrow so we can start our magic therapy. Do I have to get naked again?" She blushed as a mental picture of Finn's flawless, naked body filled her vision.

"Yes," she replied. "We have to get naked again, especially for the kind of cleanse I have to do." He nodded, looking troubled while she experienced a sudden wave of excitement. With a body like his, keeping it covered up was basically a crime in her eyes.

"So how do you expect me to pay you for all this magic therapy and aura cleansing?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "We can figure that out soon, Finn. You're going to need a lot of work done and to be honest, I don't really know how to charge you for all this. I've never had to provide magical therapy before, and I don't think it's covered under your health insurance." He barely laughed at her lame attempt to be funny.

"Well, whenever you figure it out, I'll pay you whatever you want." He caught her gaze and she was stunned by the sadness that filled his eyes. "Thank you for everything, Rachel. If it weren't for you I would probably be halfway to the asylum by now."

"Keep track of your emotions, Finn. When you feel like you're losing control you need to clear your mind and stay focused. Think about the things that make you happy and try not to lose sight of yourself." She couldn't resist pulling him into a tight hug, his massively broad frame engulfing her in his arms as she tried to console him in the only way she knew how. "I know this seems crazy, but we're gonna get through this, Finn." She smiled when he wrapped his arms around her as well, reciprocating the hug and cocooning her in his warmth as the urge to protect him grew tenfold. "I promise you, you're not going to go through this alone."

* * *

Oh no, Finn is possessed! And Rachel can't fight it off herself. What's a guy to do?

Until next time, Don't stop reviewin'!


	3. Chapter Three

DISCLAIMER: I neither own Glee nor the characters. They are the property of Ryan Murphy and FOX. This is purely for fun. Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter Three**

* * *

_The sand was warm under Finn's feet, and he looked up into the blazing summer sun as crystalline blue water stretched out in front of him for miles. He shielded his eyes from the bright light illuminating the picturesque beach in front of him; a kind of tropical oasis that Finn had never seen in person before._

_That's because it was a dream, and as he stared out at the water glittering on the horizon like diamonds, he knew he wasn't alone._

_"Come here, Finn," the soft, familiar voice called to him, beckoned him, summoned him to her like he was being pulled by an invisible force. She was standing behind him in a long, billowing white dress that whipped around her in the invisible wind. He couldn't resist her even if he tried. Reaching out to her, a sense of calm settled into his bones once his skin grazed hers, like the two of them were untouchable in their own private paradise. Smiling softly, she looked like an angel with her glowing halo of power. "You're safe with me, Finn. He can't get you here."_

_"Who?" He asked, wondering what could be a threat to the perfection surrounding them._

_"Him," she pointed behind them, where the sand continued endlessly, contrasting against the gorgeous sea. "Over there," he turned around, squinting in the distance, and finally realized what she was referring to. _

_The demon was skittering on the outskirts of their oasis, his silhouette merely blackness against the bright horizon, but his presence was still lingering and tainting the peace of their surroundings. It tried to move closer to where Finn was standing, but every time it approached it looked like the beast was hitting an invisible wall, one he repeatedly tried to penetrate. Finn turned around to look at the girl and there was a warning in her eyes._

_"Don't fall into the darkness, Finn. Remember to stay in the light." Before Finn could answer her she began to fade away, and her hand dropped away from his as the light became to bright to bear. . ._

A disconcerting feeling shook Finn awake as the dream lingered in his hazy subconscious. For the second night in a row Rachel had been the star performer in his dreams, and while spending some peaceful alone time with her on a beach was way better than falling towards a fiery death, the lingering presence of the monster inside of him was still terrifying. If it weren't for the calm provided by Rachel, it would have been just another nightmare. He opened his eyes, stretching and kicking his sheets off of his legs, and then promptly fell out of the air, slamming down onto his mattress with a loud "oof!" of surprise and having the sheets land on top of him.

He groaned as his head fell back on the pillow, rubbing the crick out of his neck while his mattress creaked from the strain. Levitation provided very little neck support while sleeping.

"What was that?" Kurt suddenly banged on his bedroom door, his voice rising in pitch as Finn chased away the lingering feelings of unease from the dream. Last night he thought that Rachel's "magical therapy" idea was overkill, but he was starting to think that it was going to be a necessary part of life from now on.

"Nothing," he called to his half-brother, getting up and trying to think of an excuse for the noise. He didn't want to burden Kurt with his problems, especially since there was nothing he could do to help him. It was just too odd and personal to share with anyone besides Rachel. "Just my failed attempt at morning exercise."

"Well, be careful then," Kurt replied, annoyed. "We have neighbors." Finn waited a few moments for Kurt to go away, then sat on the edge of his bed and let his head fall into his hands.

What the hell was_ happening_ to him?

Before now, Finn Hudson had been an average, run-of-the-mill guy who was just trying to find a place in the world. He had a great family, a decent job, a girl that he thought he loved. . .

And now he was floating above his bed at night and having his aura picked apart by a tiny naked witch.

His body burned instantly once the mental image of Rachel filled his mind; her perfectly petite body and soft curves that seemed to glow in the dim lighting of her shop. The twinkle in her eyes as she teased him about being naked. The proximity of her body to his during the ritual. It was enough to make him groan as his body reacted to the memory.

He couldn't help the way he felt though; Rachel was the only person in his life right now that knew what was happening to him. Who wouldn't judge him or think he was crazy. Hell, he _still_ thought some of this was too insane to be real, but he had witnessed too much over the past 48 hours to deny the truth now. The connection between him and Rachel was too important to deny; he needed her help and the fate of his soul depended on Rachel's ability to keep the dark forces at bay.

It didn't hurt that he got to ogle her naked body every night for the foreseeable future, either.

In any case, Rachel was the only thing on his mind, and continued to be the only thing on his mind as he tried to work and make some money. She was just too captivating to ignore as he played through the memories of the past two nights and how she had flipped his entire world on it's head. That kind of deep, intense influence _changed_ a person, and Finn certainly felt different as he coasted through the streets of Manhattan on his bike, picking up packages, dropping them off, and thinking about his petite magical companion. Beneath her flowing peasant blouses and long gypsy skirts she had a smoking hot body, and a smile that made his heart race like he was a teenager again.

Finn was almost anticipating nightfall as he pocketed the money he'd earned from the day and headed downtown towards Rachel's shop. He stopped by the local bakery to pick up a surprise for his magical therapist before he headed into the twisted side streets of Greenwich Village.

When he walked inside her establishment he was shocked to see that the little shop was packed with people, and maneuvered himself around the gaggle of European tourists who had visited Rachel for a tarot card reading. Their accents were thick and they spoke to Rachel in stilted, broken English, but she received them all with a smile and worked her own personal brand of magic on her customers. When she shooed them all into the back room, she shot Finn an apologetic smile.

"This might take a while, Finn. You want to sit behind the counter and watch over the shop while I take care of them? You can do some research while you wait." Finn couldn't deny the sting of disappointment he felt when he realized that he would be without her company for another hour or two when she had been on his mind all day.

"Um, sure, I guess so," he replied sullenly. He placed her surprise on the counter-top. "When you're done, we can share these," he opened up the lid and revealed a half dozen red velvet cupcakes, with dyed sugar sprinkled over the decadent cream cheese frosting. Rachel's expressive brown eyes went wide with excitement and her smile seemed to light up the room.

"You got these for me?"

"Well yeah," he shrugged. "You said they were your favorite." Why did her smile make his heart pound so suddenly? Relishing in the happiness of her expression, he couldn't help but notice how pale she looked, especially against the dark contrast of her hair and navy blouse. Her olive skin looked tepid and she had an air of exhaustion around her that worried him. There were dark circles under her eyes as well, and everything about her held an air of fatigue. He wanted to say something, but since there was still a smile on her face, he didn't press the issue.

"Well, seeing as I haven't drafted your bill yet, I'll accept this as tonight's payment," she joked lightly and disappeared into the back room, bringing out some volumes for him to study while she took care of her other customers. When the back door closed behind her, Finn dutifully opened a book and tried to study. He didn't know what he was looking for, but he read through the confusing passages and tried to find any information that pertained to his case. When the tiny letters started to blur into illegible blobs of ink he knew he needed a break, and walked around her little shop trying to figure out what everything was in the mason jars to pass the time.

It seemed like forever, but Rachel eventually worked her way through the group of tourists, and they all exited the back room speaking in rushed, excited whispers. Finn sat to the side while Rachel charged them for her services, and he couldn't help but notice that her hands were slightly shaking when she collected the money.

"Thank you for coming, and blessed be," she greeted warmly as they left, and Finn watched them leave with an amused smile on his face while she wiped her forehead with the back of her hand.

"Wow, I'm sorry that took so long," she sounded completely exasperated and the circles under her eyes looked a bit heavier, but she was smiling brightly nonetheless. She reached for the box of cupcakes and didn't hesitate stuffing one into her mouth. When her tongue darted past her lips to lick off the frosting there, Finn felt his pulse start racing and he looked away. For a fleeting moment he had the undeniable urge to kiss those frosting-coated lips and he shook the thought away as soon as it hit him. Rachel was his. . .well, he didn't know _what_ she was yet, but what he _did_ know was that she was his only chance at holding onto his soul and he couldn't, and wouldn't, mess that up.

Rachel stood behind him and looked over his shoulder, peeking down at the book he was researching while polishing off the rest of the cupcake. He turned his head towards her and her flowery scent assailed him, making him want to bury his nose in her skin and inhale. He didn't know why these kinds of thoughts were entering his brain uninvited, but he forced himself to focus on his task and ignore the temptations that were creeping up on him. Rachel wasn't just another girl he met around the city; not only was she a powerful witch, but she was the only thing keeping him from being possessed by a demon from hell.

But she was really pretty, and genuinely kind, and spending time with her provided the calm he needed to keep the demons at bay.

"Did you find anything interesting?" She asked, reading over the page he'd been studying. He shook his head and forced his thoughts to stay neutral.

"Nothing," he answered, dejected. "Unless you wanted to learn the finer points of astral projection."

"No, that's okay," she smiled. "How did you sleep last night?"

"Fine," he shrugged, not going into details about the dream or how she was the star of it for the second night in a row. "No nightmares, but the demon was still in the dream that I had. I _did_ wake up floating again, though. Have you figured out why yet?"

"Nope, I seriously have no clue. If you were a magical being at all, even one with dormant powers, I would be able to sense them in your aura. As far as I can tell, you're just a normal guy with a _very_ abnormal problem."

"Lucky me."

"Well, we should get started with the ritual," she sighed heavily, closing the book and standing in front of him. His eyes trailed the length of her body and the anticipation shot through him like a bullet. Sure, he hated being naked, especially in front of women, but getting to see Rachel naked was the perfect incentive to get in the nude.

"Alright," he got up from the counter and Rachel locked the front door so no one could interrupt them. He followed her into the back, his heart pounding harder with every step he took, and stood in the center of the pentagram like he had done the previous night. It should have seemed odd to him, but he figured that he was already desensitized to the whole weirdness factor of his predicament. He had seen too much crazy shit to still have any lingering doubts about Rachel or her magic.

Without saying anything, Rachel stripped off her long black skirt and sleeveless pink blouse, revealing the creamy skin and soft curves that had lingered in his thoughts all day. It took every ounce of self-restraint not to pop a boner in front of her while he took off his own clothes, and looked everywhere but the girl in front of him while she lit a heavy perfumed incense and allowed it to fog up the room. It was a stifling, musky, pungent scent that triggered a sharp pain in his temples.

"Are you ready?" She asked, standing an arm's length from where he was. He nodded, not trusting himself to speak while his stomach started to roll in tense circles. He didn't feel well all of a sudden, and he didn't know why.

"No gooey paste this time?" He forced himself to say through gritted teeth.

"No, that was for last night's ritual. This one is going to be like the cleanse we did the night we met, but a bit more intense." She held out her hands for him to take, smiling softly, and the second he grabbed them he didn't feel the peaceful calm he was expecting.

Instead a sudden, sharp pain in his head exploded into an agony he had never experienced before, and even though he was holding onto Rachel like a lifeline, Finn could feel himself slipping away as the pain overwhelmed him, and his bellowing shout filled the room before everything around him went black.

* * *

She held onto Finn's hands tighter once he started to yell, and his head started to shake back and forth in a disturbing, violent manner before he stopped moving altogether in a sickening jolt of his body. She should have been blushing at his state of undress, but she was more concerned with the pain that twisted his features, and the rippling negative energy that was flowing in the air.

When Finn looked up, she was no longer looking into the warm, chestnut eyes of her client.

She was looking into the evil, malicious eyes of whatever was possessing him.

Rachel dropped Finn's hands instantly, like his skin had burned her, and even though the man before her was grinning, it was an evil smile that made her cringe in terror. Finn was staring at her with blackened, soulless eyes, and her heartbeat started to race as it stared right into the core of her.

_"Finn is mine,"_ the deep, guttural, unfamiliar voice growled through Finn's mouth. _"And then you're next,"_ it started to move out of the center of the pentagram and she placed her hands in front of her to create a barrier between her and the evil that was trying to break free. She feared Finn's safety as the empty eyes looked back at her, and while she wasn't using much of her powers to keep him at bay, she felt inexplicably drained, like a battery that needed to be recharged. But the energy kept flowing around her, and her desire to keep Finn safe served as the fuel she needed to control the situation.

"Stay away from him!" She yelled, summoning her anger and purifying the energies inside of the pentagram while Finn clutched at his head, his eyes softening back to their normal light brown coloring. Her breathing was heavy and erratic from the exertion of power, and her legs felt unsteady for a moment as she tried to maintain balance.

What was happening to her? Never in her life had she felt so drained and exhausted, and while her powers normally regenerated on their own, she knew that something had to be wrong for her to feel like this. An unsettling sense of fatigue was weighing her down, and she still hadn't cleansed his aura yet.

"Rachel?" Finn's soft voice filled the back room and she looked up at him to see a lingering fear in his eyes. "What just happened?"

"It was controlling you again," her words trembled as she spoke them, her voice breathless. "It didn't last long, but I had to make a barrier." The naked man in front of her nodded his head with a grave expression on his face. Her heart broke for him while the conflict played out on his handsome face; she could almost see the torture in his eyes as he gazed at her shaking form. She wanted to help him, she wanted so badly to make his problems go away, but the more she faced the monster that was controlling him, the more she realized how vulnerable she was against it. The demon was stronger than she had anticipated, and with her strength waning for some unknown reason, she didn't know how helpful she would be. "I think it's after me now, too."

Finn nodded his head. "I heard it in my head yesterday. It wants to take your powers." A chill of fear shook down her spine, and even though she wanted to help him, every single one of her instincts was telling her to kick this guy out of her shop and stay as far away from him as she possibly could.

But for the first time in her entire life, she ignored her instincts over the plight of his man who had somehow wormed his way into her heart.

She couldn't explain it; despite her initial impression of him, Rachel felt an overwhelming need to protect Finn from the dangers he was facing, even though a few days ago he was nothing but a complete stranger to her. There was a connection that had strengthened between them, formed by magic and solidified by trust, and she couldn't just ignore that no matter how scared she became in the face of evil. Rachel had made a promise to help him, and from the look of despair in his eyes, he needed more help now than ever before. Her heart was bleeding for the kind, caring man standing naked in her shop, and she refused to be frightened off like a little girl who was afraid of the monster under the bed.

She stood up at her fullest height, summoning all the strength she had left to complete her task for the evening. Rachel needed to purify Finn's aura and keep the evil energies at bay or else he was going to be lost to the darkness. She made a mental note to email her friends in the magical community again, to see if she could gather enough witches to create a coven.

"Rachel, are you okay?" Finn asked as she tried to steady herself on shaky legs. Most of her strength had waned drastically, but she needed to see her task to it's end.

"I'm fine," she said. "Let's try it again." She looked up into the worried eyes of her client and he shook his head vehemently.

"No way. You don't look so good, Rachel. Maybe we should call it a night."

"And risk having that _thing_ come back?" She said incredulously. "No way. There's too much dark energy inside of you and I need to dispel it quickly before it seizes control. We're doing this now." She shook out her hands and held them out for him, but he bypassed them and came closer to her, stepping out of the pentagram and shocking her with his proximity. Their naked skin was almost touching, and it suddenly felt like the walls were closing in on her as she was forced up to look into his brilliantly handsome face.

"I'm worried about you, Rach," the nickname fell from his lips and Rachel's heart skipped a beat before it pounded with a loud thud. First the flowers, then the cupcakes. . . now he was giving her nicknames? It was bad enough that she couldn't get him out of her head since the night they'd met, now she felt herself getting attached to the way he made her feel, which was bad for business. She was spending _far_ too much time with her client, and the urge to wrap her arms around him steadily increased. Sure, he hadn't technically _paid_ her for any of her services yet, but she still thought of herself as a complete professional and knew that she shouldn't have romantic relationships with her clients.

Especially her most needy client, who just happened to be possessed by a demon from hell.

She shook the unwelcome thoughts out of her head but didn't step away from him. "You don't need to worry about me, I'm fine."

"No you're not," he gently cupped her cheek with his massive palm and his hand felt warm and firm against her skin. She took a sharp inhale of breath and his earthy, masculine scent invaded her senses, leaving her feeling lightheaded. "You look really pale and you're shaking. I don't know, but something is wrong."

A wave of fatigue crashed over her, and she had to shake off the disconcerting feeling that he was right and press on. Finn's safety was on the line, and she had promised to do whatever she could in order to help him. Besides, there were other ways for her to regain her lost energy. . .Finn just didn't need to know about them.

"I'm fine, Finn. I need to do this for you."

"Not if you're going to hurt yourself!" He protested, his face pinching in anger. He was still holding her, and she leaned into his touch before removing his hand and gently leading him back towards the center of the pentagram.

"I'm just feeling a little drained because I used a lot of my power today. Lucky for me, my energy can regenerate itself. When we're done I can theoretically charge up my magical batteries and everything will be fine." She didn't go into detail about how she would accomplish that task, but he didn't need to know that information.

He didn't look like he believed her. "Are you sure?"

She nodded her head, trying to shake away the last fringes of fatigue and focus on her task. "Yes. We need to do this."

"But not if you're going to get hurt!" He was so adamant, so protective of her, it made her eyes widen in shock as her heart began to pound. "Rachel, we can't let it get to you. You're too important to put yourself at risk." He was looking into her eyes and she was caught in his gaze, locked into the emotions she saw swirling there and breathless at the power of those feelings. For a moment she allowed herself to get lost in his eyes, and the energies that coursed through her were electric as he inched closer to her with nothing but skin in-between them. He was right, she did need more energy, and she knew _exactly_ how to get it.

"Kiss me," she said, her voice breathless as her eyes darted to his lips. Her powers were controlled by her emotions; the more emotional she felt, the more power she was able to exert in a spell.

But emotions that was ignited _inside_ of her; emotions that were nurtured and focused and stayed contained inside of her body, _that_ was the energy that fueled her powers. Romantic energy, like kisses and simple touches, were always a quick boost, but there was another kind of energy that acted like instant fuel for witches.

And she hadn't experienced _that_ kind of energy in quite a long time. For now, a kiss would suffice, and give her enough of a power boost to cleanse Finn's aura and keep him safe.

And Finn didn't look like he was going to say no.

"Rachel," her name was a ghost on his lips as he closed the distance between them, and while there were questions in his eyes he didn't ask them out loud as he firmly sealed his mouth to hers. An instant jolt of energy flowed through her, shocking every one of her nerves as she reciprocated his kiss in earnest, wrapping his arms around him and pressing their bodies together. Once her skin pressed against him she was flooded with warmth, a simmering heat building inside of her towards something powerful. Energy twisted and collided inside of her; with every press of his lips she felt the emotions coursing through her and re-energizing her with surges of power that charged her tired body.

It was a massive tide of energy, more powerful than anything else she had ever experienced, and she received such a sudden flow of power that she suddenly craved more. One kiss just wasn't enough. She pulled away from him long enough to drag in a ragged breath, and moaned when she pressed against him again, feeling his pulsing erection against her abdomen. The hot, sizzling sensation that flowed through her was so intense it made her heart pound, and all the energy that she thought had waned was now an overflow of power just aching to be released.

Rachel couldn't get enough. With merely a kiss Finn was able to make her power surge in startling ways, and the emotions that flooded through her were addictive and scary and strong. Who _was_ this man and how was he able to make her feel like this? No one had _ever_ inspired such overwhelming emotions with just a kiss, and it was a kiss that she never wanted to end.

The friction between them was so hot she thought her skin was on fire, and Finn shifted against her, holding her close and pressing against her in the most intimate way as he shifted his hips against hers, making her gasp in excitement as passion exploded in her. Every single part of her was engaged in him; her senses, her body, her powers. The sudden need to protect him was encompassing every other thought in her mind, and with a breathless sigh, she started the ritual, purifying the energy around them while they were still engaged in their heated kiss.

She could feel her energy leeching out of her again, which worried her since Finn was still kissing her and creating the purest emotions she had ever felt. But she needed to complete her task; she needed to protect Finn no matter what, or else the demon might steal what she wanted to be hers. The realization that she wanted Finn hit her with the force of a battering ram, and her heart was slamming against her ribcage so hard she thought it might bruise.

After a few more passionate moments, Rachel broke apart from the kiss so she could focus all of her energy in cleansing his aura, chasing away the dark energy while her lingering power began to fade again. Finn stared at her with worry in his eyes as he still continued to hold her in their intimate position, their auras shimmering around one another in a glow of light. She relied on him to hold her up once her knees buckled, and he caught her before her legs gave out completely.

Her vision started to blur, the last of her energy fading away, and while she knew she should be scared, her thoughts were more preoccupied on Finn, and whether or not he would be safe.

"Rachel," he said, his voice thick with worry, gently setting her down on the floor and quickly grabbing her black skirt. He pulled it over her head and arms far enough to turn it into a dress and give her some modesty, then sat cross-legged on the floor, pulling her into his naked embrace while she finished chasing away the last vestiges of dark energy. When his aura was as clear as it could get, given the circumstances, she let out a deep breath of air and felt dizzy while Finn cradled her. "What did you do?" He whispered in the silence of the back room and shook his head, holding onto her and pulling the errant hair out of her face. "Why did you do that?"

"Do what?" She replied weakly, her dim voice fading. "Kiss you or purify you?"

"Both," he said, tenderly kissing her forehead. She was so drained that his show of affection did nothing for her, and she was starting to get very nervous about the events of the evening. There was something seriously wrong with both her _and_ her powers, and if she didn't figure out what it was then she and Finn were both_ screwed._

"There's something wrong with me, Finn," she said weakly, resting her palm on his chest, burying herself in the warmth of his arms, ignoring his nudeness, and closing her eyes. She was _so_ overwhelmingly tired, and she could no longer fight against the tide of fatigue that pulled her under. Sleep was what normally rejuvenated her, but there was a sick feeling in her gut that was telling her it wouldn't be enough anymore. Looking up at Finn, she didn't answer his original question, but shared her fears with him instead. "I don't know what it is, but if we don't find out soon, then we're both going to be in serious trouble." He nodded down at her, and his kind, but worried, gaze was the last thing she saw before she succumbed to her fatigue and passed out in his arms.

* * *

Don't stop reviewin'!


	4. Chapter Four

DISCLAIMER: I neither own Glee nor the characters. They are the property of Ryan Murphy and FOX. This is purely for fun. Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter Four**

* * *

The panic was beginning to set in as Finn held Rachel in his arms on the floor, cradling her body gently in his naked embrace while her chest rose and fell with her steady breathing. He should have felt awkward or vulnerable in their intimate position, but Finn was more scared than anything else as he thought about the events of the past few days. His little possession problem was spiraling out of control and now Rachel was suffering alongside him as well. With her unconscious for the time being it was up to Finn to figure out what was wrong with them, and on the cold tiled floor he formulated a plan.

Gently placing her on the ground, Finn grabbed his clothes and threw them on quickly before running to the front room of the shop and grabbing her keys off the counter. He locked up her shop as best as he could before picking out a few of Rachel's books and placing them in a plastic bag. Then he returned to the back room and lifted Rachel off the floor and into his arms, balancing the weight of both the books and the unconscious girl and carrying them out the store's back door into Rachel's apartment building. It was hard tackling the stairs with so much weight in his arms but he managed it, feeling infinitely stronger after Rachel's intense purification. When he finally got to the apartment he dropped the books on the thresh-hold, used Rachel's key to get them inside, and brought her straight to her bedroom, gently placing her down on the sheets. He was sweating from the effort when he was finally finished, but it was worth the strenuous task to know that she was safe in bed.

Because now, he had a job to do.

Turning on the lights in her living room, Finn retrieved the books from the hall and plopped himself down on the couch, readying himself for his task. He'd never been that great of a student, and studying was never really his thing, but with Rachel unconscious it was up to him to do the bulk of the research, and he knew he needed to focus. Something was _definitely_ wrong with his magical therapist; he could remember the way her body had slumped against him earlier, as if she didn't even have the strength to hold herself up. It just wasn't _natural,_ and he knew he had to be the cause of it somehow. His heart panged in his chest when he thought about the kiss they had shared moments before, and the powerful energy that had surged within him during the ritual. Was the kiss somehow part of her spell, or had it been her true intention to share that with him? He couldn't be sure, but their shared, passionate kiss only reinforced his growing affections for her, and he needed to know more.

He studied all through the night, fighting against the need for sleep and going through book after book with nothing but small, momentary breaks to check up on Rachel. She was as still as a rock in her bed, all throughout the night, and despite her insistence that she levitated above her bed every morning, to Finn it didn't seem like she'd moved an inch. He could only hope she was getting the rest she needed, and continued reading as the sun slowly peeked over the horizon. Her living room was bathed in the soft glow of morning when Finn came across a passage that caught his attention for the first time all night.

"The Tether," he read the title of the passage out loud, his brow tightening in concentration as he read over the ancient text.

_"A tether is a magical connection formed between two people in order to provide protection from dark forces in dangerous situations. Magic is shared between the two individuals, even over great distances, and in most cases this bond can inadvertently weaken one while strengthening the other. A non-magical human may also adopt certain magical traits through the tether, like levitation or premonitions. All magics lost __**must**__ be replenished quickly in order to maintain the tether and keep the protection spells in place."_

He read the passage five times, wondering if he'd found the explanation to Rachel's loss of power. Had she, accidentally or otherwise, created a magical tether between them? Was he truly in fact leeching off of her powers and draining them dry for his own protection against the demon? It would explain how weak she'd been feeling, along with his little levitation problem.

It sounded pretty close to what was happening to them, but he needed to talk to Rachel to be completely sure. The sun was now way over the horizon, and even though Finn didn't want to bother her, Rachel needed to know what was happening to them. He poked her head inside her room once more, but this time a different sight greeted his eyes.

She was floating about four feet above the mattress, the skirt that he had haphazardly thrown on her last night bellowing around her in an invisible breeze. Her hair fanned out like a halo, and her face was peaceful as he approached the bed. Staring in awe, he dragged his hands through the air, both over and under her body, just to prove to himself that there was nothing actually holding her up. An idea popped into his head and he grinned while placing his arms underneath her, leaning over to whisper in her ear.

"Rachel," he called, smiling when her face pinched in adorable confusion. "Rachel, wake up," he insisted, a bit louder this time. Her eyelashes began to flutter as a soft moan escaped her lips, and when she finally opened her eyes and stared into his at face-level, she let out a shocked scream before she dropped out of the air like a rock and landed right into Finn's arms.

"Oof!" She said as he caught her, balancing their weight to keep them both steady. A hearty chuckle escaped his lips as she clutched onto his shirt tightly. Her eyes were still bleary and confused from sleep, and she yawned deeply while he lowered her back down onto the mattress, sitting down on the side of her bed. "Finn?" She asked, her voice still thick with sleep. "What happened?"

"I'm sorry, I didn't want to wake you up so early," he apologized, noticing the dark circles that were still prevalent under her eyes, even after a full night's sleep. "But I think I found some information that might help us."

"You caught me," her voice was still low as she sunk into the pillows, and she looked pale against the soft pink sheets.

"What?"

"When I was falling," she explained, punctuating her statement with another wide yawn. "You caught me. No one's ever done that before." Her eyes were unfocused and she could barely lift her head from the pillow. She said last night that sleep was supposed to rejuvenate her, but after a full night of uninterrupted rest she looked worse than ever. His anxiety increased tenfold as she curled in on herself and closed her eyes once more.

"Rachel, you don't look very well," he commented while another yawn escaped her.

"I feel awful," she cried miserably. "And I have no idea what's going on. I just want to go back to sleep."

"No, Rachel, that's why I woke you up," he said, shaking her to keep her awake when her lashes started to flutter shut again. "I think I found something important." He ran into the living room and grabbed the book, bringing it back to her and reading the passage out loud. Rachel slowly pulled herself up into a sitting position, her face pinching from the effort it took to lift herself up.

"That has to be it," she said weakly. "I was so worried about you that I probably created the tether unwillingly. That's what's been draining my powers. That's why you've been floating in your sleep."

"It says your powers need to be replenished," he repeated while her face immediately burned crimson. "What does that mean?" Her eyes went wide and for a moment, she didn't look like she was going to answer him. She didn't elaborate further, so he pushed the issue and repeated his question. "What does that mean, Rachel? What aren't you telling me?"

"It's kind of personal," she croaked, her voice fading fast, along with her strength. "It's not something I like to share with people."

Finn was flabbergasted at her stubbornness. "Rachel, you look like you're about to keel over any second! If you drain all your powers then there's nothing stopping the demon from taking control of the _both of us_. I've seen you naked, I've touched your naked skin. I think we can move past being uncomfortable and awkward around one another." She fidgeted on the bed, wrapping her arms around herself and looking down at her clothes. Or lack thereof.

"Why am I wearing my skirt as a dress?" She asked, avoiding his argument.

"Because you passed out last night, Rachel, as soon as the ritual was over. Your magic was so drained you couldn't even stay conscious anymore. We can't let that happen again. Tell me what you know."

For another tense minute, Finn still wasn't sure if Rachel was going to share her secret with him. He was about to give up altogether when she slowly nodded her head and started to explain.

"Normally, sleep is the natural revitalizer of my powers," she explained slowly. "But since the tether was formed, I can only assume that my powers are being drained in my sleep, so I can no longer rely on that to do the job."

"But there are other ways, right?"

Again, she nodded, looking hesitant. "Yes, but it's hard to explain."

"Just try," he urged in soft tones and she finally conceded.

"My magic is controlled by my emotions, Finn. I exude power because my emotions are strong enough to project them. That's why I'm naturally more powerful when I'm really angry or upset or happy."

"Okay," he said, still not understanding fully.

"But when emotions are created _inside_ of me without an outlet, that's the real fuel for my magic." He still didn't get it, and shrugged his shoulders while she groaned.

"The kiss, Finn. From last night. Do you remember when I told you to kiss me?" He nodded, the memory coming back to him in a rush of emotion. "Things like kisses, hugs, actions that create emotion; that serves as a quick boost to my powers, like what happened last night."

"So wait," he interrupted while a shaky feeling twisted his gut. "You kissed me because you wanted a quick power boost?"

"Well, kind of," she admitted, and he had to squash the feeling of disappointment that burned through his veins. "But I have to admit that it was a powerful kiss. It created enough energy in me to complete the entire purification."

"Yeah, and then you passed out minutes later, completely exhausted," he added bitterly. "So if a kiss can serve as a magical jolt, what exactly fills the gas tank?"

Biting her lip, she took a deep breath and tried to explain. "Well, let's say, theoretically, that we kiss again and nothing stops us from going further into the more physical aspects of romance. If those feelings start to increase and become more intense and focused. . ." Rachel trailed off, waving her hands around instead of elaborating, and Finn still had _no clue _as to what she was talking about.

"Well, what happens? I still don't get it."

_"Orgasms!"_ She squeaked, her face beat red from the embarrassment of saying it out loud. "Sexual energy, Finn! That's what fuels my power." She looked completely humiliated while his heart started pounding from the news. "It's the only thing that works." He took a moment to really think about what his magical companion was telling him and stared at her in awe. Did Rachel really have sex-powered magic?

So. Damn. _Cool._

"So what are you going to do?" He asked, his mind racing almost as fast as his heartbeat. An idea popped into his head then, an idea that was so thrilling he couldn't stop thinking about it as he leaned closer to her on the bed. Her eyes went wide as he climbed onto her mattress, kicking off his shoes and crawling towards her.

"U-uh," she stuttered, her face still red as he closed in on her. "I don't know. Probably take care of it myself."

_"Manually?"_ He questioned salaciously, his body warming up at the thought of Rachel touching herself; bringing herself pleasure to refuel her power.

"Well, that's how I usually take care of it," she admitted with a bit of annoyance, almost sinking into her mattress from the humiliation she felt. Finn nodded his head, making up his mind about something as he leaned over her weakened body.

"Not anymore," he said, his voice gritty and low as he stared down at her. He had the sudden, overwhelming desire to kiss her again, but not just to give her a quick power boost.

"What do you mean?" she asked shyly.

"I think I know how I'm going to pay you back for all your magical therapy," he said finally, her eyebrows shooting up towards her forehead from the insinuation. She stared up at him, too weak to move, but there was an unmistakable lust in her eyes that seemed to make them glow.

"I don't know if that's a good idea," she whispered.

"It's perfect," he insisted. "You're losing your magic because of me. Even in your sleep you're still trying to protect me. Do you know how much that means to me? Do you have any idea?" She shook her head no, and Finn smiled at her. "I want to do this for you, Rachel. I want to give you back the energy that you're using on me. It's the least I can do." He crawled forward until he was hovering over her, their bodies almost touching as he balanced his weight on his hands and knees. "I don't know what's happening to me, Rachel, but I do know that we're in this together now. We're tethered. I need to help you, just like you need to help me."

He didn't wait for her to answer before he kissed her softly, slowly, dipping his head until their lips met and melded their mouths together. While last night's kiss had been rushed and surging with power this one was more subdued, more sensual, and filled him with a passion that Finn had never experienced before. Rachel practically bloomed under his kiss, like a flower thirsting for rain during a downpour, soaking in the energy he created in her and refueling herself. A strong feeling of pride settled into his bones, knowing that he was the one rejuvenating her with his actions while she protected him in return.

When he leaned away from her, giving them both space and air to breathe, the effect of his kiss was almost instantaneous. Rachel's skin had lost some of it's pallor, and the dark circles rimming her eyes seemed to lighten, but she was still weak and he needed to do more for her. There was only one way to make sure that she was strong enough, and to be honest, it was a fantasy that Finn was hoping would come true.

"Will you let me touch you, Rachel?" His voice was thick, and husky with need as she gazed up at him in a trance.

"You don't have to do this, Finn."

"I know," he said gently. "But I want to."

"No one has ever given me so much power through a simple kiss before," she said, her voice shaking slightly. "That has to mean something, right?"

"I think so," he said solemnly, pressing his lips to hers once more and noticing the soft glow of her skin. "But I want to know what happens when I do this." He ducked his head and attached his lips to the crook of her neck, kissing the skin of her chest all the way down to the swell of her covered breasts. She sucked in a sharp gust of air, breathing heavily while her eyes fluttered shut once more, and Finn knew that he had just entered the best deal of his life as he held her soft skin in his hands and heard her pleasure-filled sighs pierce the air.

* * *

Rachel's mind was fogged with nothing but feeling as Finn continued his assault on her body. She still felt like she was living in a dream, and couldn't believe that she was really feeling Finn's hands on her naked skin. It sent electricity coursing through her, increasing her strength with every press of his lips on her skin. A rush of power surged within her when he pulled down her makeshift dress and exposed her breasts to the chill of the morning. Her nipples perked instantly, and Finn's eyes were glued to her chest as he stared down at her.

"Beautiful," he murmured before attaching his lips to her nipple, fondling her breast and sucking on it softly. A tidal wave of power surged through her, energizing her, rejuvenating her powers in a way she had never felt before. It was almost overwhelming, the feelings he elicited in her. Never before had Rachel experienced anything so intense, but she didn't fight it; instead she allowed it to take her places she had never been to before. The magic coursed through her now in waves of strength, and Rachel was finally able to reciprocate as she pulled herself up and wrapped her arms around him, holding him closer.

"Rachel?" He asked, lifting his head from her chest and looking at her with hooded eyes. For a moment she just stared at him, allowing herself to fall into his affectionate gaze as her heart swelled with emotion. Just days ago Finn had been just another doubtful stranger, but now he was so much more than that. Their relationship was evolving at a rapid pace and while Rachel should have been hesitant, her instincts were telling her that this felt _right_.

And her body was telling her that she wanted more.

"Finn," she breathed, pulling his face towards hers and capturing his lips in another kiss. His body was so close to hers, hovering above by mere inches, and she wanted to feel more. She wanted to feel him everywhere. "I want you."

A simple groan was his answer as he leaned away from her and pulled off her skirt/dress completely, exposing her body to him while he quickly shucked his shirt and pants. Despite the fact that she had seen his naked body before, she still sucked in a sharp breath when her gaze fixed onto his abs and the generous erection that made her pulse race. "I want you, too."

His simple statement made her pause as he balanced his weight above her, and she couldn't hide the wince on her face as he stopped his movements. "What is it?"

"It's nothing, really."

"No," he insisted. "Tell me." He started to stroke the side of her face with his fingertips and for a moment she allowed herself to be extremely vulnerable in front of him.

"Its just that," she trailed off, feeling the ancient pain enter her heart. "This is the point in my past relationships when men started accusing me of slipping them love potions and I can't. . ." she sighed, the heartbreak hitting her in a flood of emotion. "I don't want to go through that with you," the words passed through her lips before she could stop them. "I like you too much."

He stared down at her, his eyes filled with something akin to pain. "I know we didn't get off to the best start, but you know I don't feel that way anymore. I would never accuse you of something like that, Rachel. Not after what we've been through." She nodded her head, but didn't truly believe him as her eyes wandered from his face. "Hey," he said, cupping her chin and pulling her gaze back onto him. "I like you, too. I'm doing this because it will help you, but also because I want to." He placed a deep sensual kiss on her willing lips and she melted underneath him. "I really, _really_ want to."

"Alright," she said, breaking apart from the kiss and staring up into his eyes, seeing the affection there. She shifted her hips, opening her legs and allowing them to settle in the junction between her thighs. She could feel his blazing velvet skin brush against her and felt a trickle of moisture between her legs as he shifted his hips and buried himself in her, groaning as their bodies became one. The bliss that washed over her was unlike anything she had ever felt before, and she instantly craved more as she bucked her hips and allowed him to sink into her completely. She opened her eyes and his face was already pinched with pleasure as he slowly pulled out, and when he slammed back into her, making stars flash behind her eyes, she knew that their passionate dance had begun.

With every push and pull of his hips Finn brought her a pleasure unlike anything she had ever felt. For the first time their connection felt tangible, like she could feel the tether connecting their bodies and making them become one. Her magic flowed through her in powerful bursts of energy that were so strong they manifested themselves in a giant gust of air that started to blow throughout the room, despite the fact that none of the windows were open. Her hair started to fly around them in a dark curtain while he continuously pumped into her, making her body vibrate with power as he built her towards completion. The energies inside of her were colliding, increasing in strength and fueling the magic that had depleted so dangerously as the feelings overwhelmed her. The passion inside of her combined with the swirling magic was too much for her to take, and it exploded inside of her in a rush of sensation as her body plummeted into the depths of bliss in Finn's arms.

She cried out, her body seizing in pleasure as Finn picked up the speed and finally joined her in orgasm. Flashing colors burst in her vision as she held onto the emotions inside of her, and her heart felt very full as her lover crashed next to her, gently pulling out and holding her close while their labored breathing filled the room. The heavy gusts of wind died down into a light breeze that played with her errant hair and cooled off their sweaty bodies. Finn nestled himself next to her, pulling her close, wrapping his body around hers like a cocoon, and leaving her with a feeing of contentment that was so peaceful she never wanted it to end.

But the power was crackling through her body like electricity, and despite the fatigue she had experienced over the past few days, she was now ready to attack their little possession problem with vigor. There were some spells and potions she wanted to work on but didn't have the energy to test over the past two days. She turned to her lover, getting a small thrill at the fact that she could now refer to him as _her lover_, and saw the exhaustion weighing down his features. Had he even slept at all throughout the night? He seemed just as drained as she'd been.

"Finn?" She called to him, noticing the effort it took to open his eyes. "Did you sleep at all last night?"

"No," he shook his head. "I had to find out what was happening to you." Her heart warmed at the thought of Finn studying all night because of her, and softly kissed his brow as a gesture of gratitude.

"Well try and get some rest now, okay? You need it."

"I can't," he protested softly, trying to get up despite his heavy fatigue. "There's too much that we still need to do."

"Shhh," she placed a hand on his chest and focused all of her energy on Finn, using her powers to lull him into a light trance. "Go to sleep, Finn." His eyelids were drooping and his body started to fall back towards the pillows, but he realized what she was doing and tried to fight against it.

"No," he said drowsily. "Rachel, don't. . ."

"It's alright," she cooed softly, stroking his cheek while he lost the battle against her power. "Just rest, Finn." With a contented sigh, his eyes finally closed and he relaxed into her sheets, falling asleep instantly. For a moment, she watched as his features softened and evened out peacefully, losing herself in the details of his handsome face. She had been through her share of men over the years, but none of them brought her the kind of peaceful contentment that she had just found in Finn's arms. It pained her to realize that her feelings for him were spiraling out of control, but she couldn't deny what her heart was telling her.

Being with Finn felt_ right._ Being with Finn felt _real._ More real than any other relationship she had ever been in, and now that she knew about their tether the urge to protect him was encompassing every other rational thought in her head. He'd been dedicated enough to do research through the night, so today it was her job to test out various spells to see if anything would work for him. Pushing away her feelings, she quietly dragged herself out of bed, kissing his brow once more before leaving him nestled in her sheets. After that, she hopped into the shower and bathed before catching up on all the chores that she'd been too weak to complete over the past two days.

When both she and her apartment were clean, she set out to complete her monumental task with vigor as she descended the stairs to her shop and picked up the various ingredients she was going to need. The box of red velvet cupcakes he'd bought for her were still on the counter-top, and she brought them upstairs despite the fact that they were a bit stale. They had been a gift after all, and she nibbled on them happily while she turned her kitchen into her own personal magic workshop.

The day passed her by in a fog of fumes as she worked on a protection potion that was meant to suppress the dark energy swirling around Finn's aura. Combined with his daily purification ritual, it was supposed to keep Finn's aura strong, and resistant against possession. It had a bitter, almost sour smell to it and was as thick and viscous as a milk shake, despite it's sickly green color. It was going to be hell forcing Finn to drink it, but she knew that it would help him in the long run. . . if the taste didn't kill him first. After that she checked her email and frowned at her screen when she realized that no one had responded to her plight. She quickly sent out another one, begging the magical community for help and advice of any kind about demon possessions and praying that someone would answer her. Sure, it was risky getting involved in other people's magical problems, but the least they could do was give her some advice so she didn't have to go through it all alone. However, it didn't look like many other witches were willing to help her, and she returned to her books to continue her research alone while Finn slept peacefully in the next room.

The sun was high in the afternoon sky when Rachel heard a loud crash and a guttural moan coming from her bedroom. Knowing that Finn was finally awake by the sound of her creaking mattress, she waited patiently before he emerged from the bedroom, looking groggy and sullen. She was curled into her sofa with one of her books on her lap and he plopped down next to her, a loud groan filling the air as his head fell back onto the cushions.

"How did you sleep?" She asked, peeking over her book to take in his adorable, disheveled appearance.

"Great," he said. "Like a log," a loud yawn escaped him and he sent a crooked smile at her. "Your mattress is nice and squishy. It helps with the crash landing." For the first time in her life she had someone to commiserate with in regards to her nightly levitation and she nodded her head with enthusiasm.

"Yes, I find that the softer mattress is much more beneficial. It gives me more support in my neck and lower back." He nodded in agreement and Rachel had to resist the sudden, overwhelming urge to lean over and kiss him until he was fully awake. Where had that come from? She had to continuously remind herself that their relationship was strictly work-related, even though it now involved sex, despite the yearning she felt in her heart for more. Ignoring her instinct, she tried to steer the subject away from her shifting feelings. "So are you hungry? I can make you something to eat."

"Yeah, sure," he said, sniffing the air lightly as his face pinched together. "What's that smell?"

"Oh, that's for you," she reached her arm out towards the kitchen counter and the glass with the potion in it zoomed right towards her outstretched hand while Finn looked on in amusement. She held it out for him to take and the amusement faded instantly. "I made this for you. You have to drink it." He took the clear glass out of her hands and stared at the putrid green fluid like it was about to swallow _him_ instead.

"It looks. . . _chunky,"_ he said, sticking out his tongue like a child.

"Just drink it," she said, crossing her arms over her chest. "It's going to keep your aura strong."

"What's in it?" he asked hesitantly.

"You _don't_ want to know."

"Whatever you say, Rach," he said, and with a face that mirrored the disgust he felt he shut his eyes and knocked back the potion, drinking every drop while she served as a witness. When he was finished a violent cough was ripped from his throat and he bent over, almost dry heaving as his body seized from the effort.

"Finn?" She called while he continued to cough. "Are you alright?"

"Ugh!" He howled, holding himself around the waist like he might throw up at any moment. "That was _terrible!"_

"How do you feel?"

"Awful!" He cried. "Like my stomach is about to explode."

"Just breathe, okay? It'll pass." He started taking deep, cleansing breaths to calm himself down and settled back onto the couch, coughing liberally until his stomach settled.

"Rachel," he gasped when he finally had the breath to do so. "I know you're trying to help, but sometimes it feels like you're trying to kill me."

"I'm sorry," she was sincere, knowing deep down that he was right. Magic could be very intense sometimes, and Finn seemed to be getting the brunt of it all. "I have nothing but the best intentions."

"I know," he said evenly, his breathing back to normal. "And you're doing a great job. After you knocked me out I didn't dream at all, for the first time in ages."

"That's great," she agreed, but Finn was staring at her like he was trying to decipher a puzzle and she didn't like being scrutinized in such a way. "What's wrong?"

"What are we supposed to do about this tether?" He asked, making her heart pound for some unexplainable reason. "Is it, like, a permanent thing? Will it go away by itself?"

"I don't know," she answered honestly. "I think it's only temporary. As long as you're still possessed by the demon, we're still tethered together." She was afraid to ask, but the question just slipped past her lips. "Why do you want to know?"

He shrugged his shoulders, then reached over to take her hand in his. "Because part of me doesn't want it to end," he said, much to her amazement. "You're cool, Rachel, and being a part of your life has changed mine _completely._ I don't think I can just go back to the way things were before I met you."

"W-what are you saying?"

"That I care about you," he replied, looking into her eyes and speaking right to her soul. "That I'm not just here to pay you back for magical therapy and get my aura cleansed." She couldn't believe what she was hearing as he held her hand gently, the doubt filling her up with a bitter feeling. How many relationships had she been in that failed because the man couldn't handle her world? How many lies had she been forced to tell in order to keep her secret safe because she was too scared to be honest?

"You don't know what you're talking about, Finn," she shook his hand away, rejecting his sentiments as a self-preservation tactic. "Not many guys would willingly enter a romantic relationship with a full-blown witch."

"Well then I guess I'm not like other guys," he said, scooting closer to her. "I'm not going to hurt you, Rachel. You can trust me."

"I want to," she said, her voice thick with pain. "But my relationships have never lasted very long, Finn. Either I try to hide my secret from guys altogether or it eventually freaks them out so badly it chases them away." Her voice dropped in volume and she looked away from him. "And I don't want to chase you away."

"You wont," he insisted. "I already know about your secret, Rachel, and guess what? If it weren't for you I would probably be dead by now. To be honest, I like your powers, and even though I didn't believe in it at first, I know for a fact now that magic is real, and it's what brought us together." She shook her head, his sentiments too good to be real. "And I promise I won't let it scare me away."

"You say that now," her voice was hollow and dim. "But you won't mean it forever."

"You're wrong," he urged, taking her hand in his again. His palm was warm as she curled her fingers in his and she wanted to believe him so badly. "My ex-girlfriend left a whole in me so big that a demon was able to crawl inside and take over. Then you came along out of nowhere and filled it with pure, indescribable magic. I can't get you out of my head, Rachel." The tears were pooling in her eyes during his heartfelt confession, and she even read his aura quickly to witness the peace inside of his soul for herself. "And I don't want to. I don't want to let that feeling go, and I don't want this to be some business transaction. I want it to be real."

"Finn," she called to him, holding his hand tightly and closing the distance between them before placing her lips on his in a kiss that left her breathless. He pulled her towards him instantly, their bodies pressed together as a rush of sensation pulsed through her. His kisses were like pure jolts of energy, and this time there was no hesitation or awkwardness between them. This wasn't a part of their therapy or some kind of a deal they made with one another; these feelings were real, and he felt them just as strongly as she did. "I haven't had a boyfriend in so long," she whispered to herself when they broke apart from the kiss, her breath heaving in her chest as her heart pounded wildly.

"Well that changes now," he said, holding her close. "And if this demon thinks he can control me and my girlfriend like puppets, then we need to work harder than ever to send his ass right back to hell." The determination in his eyes were fierce when he looked at her once more. "Right, babe?"

"Right," she agreed, her affections solidifying in her heart for her new boyfriend as she pulled away from his embrace and leaped off the couch. "I better go make more batches of that potion then!" Rachel giggled to herself while Finn groaned from the couch and she immediately started throwing more ingredients together for a new batch. He let his head fall backwards with a sigh and sounded exasperated when he spoke once more.

"Is there a spell to make it taste good?" She didn't answer him, just giggled into her tiny cauldron and smiled at her boyfriend before losing herself in her task.

This was as normal as her life was going to get, but _damn_ did it feel good.

* * *

Don't stop reviewin'!


	5. Chapter Five

DISCLAIMER: I neither own Glee nor the characters. They are the property of Ryan Murphy and Fox. This is purely for fun. Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter Five**

* * *

"It feels weird saying goodbye," Finn said, standing on the sidewalk outside of Rachel's shop, staring down into her eyes while the sun set behind them in the distance. She was practically beaming at him as she rocked back and forth on the heels of her sandals, a pretty glow decorating her cheeks.

"I'll see you later tonight, Finn, after I put in some hours at the shop." She entwined their hands together and her skin was smooth and warm under his as he dragged his thumb over her knuckles. They had just spent the afternoon thoroughly rejuvenating Rachel's powers, so his body was still tingling from the lingering sensations within him. "Besides, we need to cleanse your apartment as soon as possible. I need to make sure that there's no lingering negative energy there or else it will interfere with my protection spells."

"So you'll come over tonight?" He asked, gripping her hand tighter, but this time from the fear that still plagued him. It was becoming very clear to him that he could no longer survive without Rachel's help, and didn't want to be away from her for too long. She was the only thing keeping him sane while his life continued to spiral downwards into darkness.

"Yes," she said sweetly. "You gave me your address already. I'll be over tonight after I close the shop."

"Why do you have to work tonight?" He whined, feeling juvenile and needy. He normally didn't act this way around girls but Rachel was different. It wasn't just because of the magical therapy, it was something else; a need to be with her, to feel the safety and protection she provided. To witness the magic that he'd never believed in before he met her. To see her smile and know that he was the cause of it.

"Because I know I'm getting customers tonight, silly!" She laughed lightly while tapping the side of her head. "I've seen it." They shared a smile before it slowly melted off her face.

"What's wrong?"

"Your brother," she said suddenly, looking up at him with worry in her eyes. "Kurt. What will he say when I come over tonight to cleanse the apartment?" For a moment Finn hesitated, seemingly intimidated by the prospect of telling his step-brother about Rachel. His brother had always been a tad critical when it came to the girls that Finn dated, and Rachel was way more than just another fling. He cared about her, relied on her. He was going to have to find a way to break it to him slowly and hope for the best.

Finn shook his head for Rachel's benefit and forced a smile. "Kurt was a huge fan of yours when you read his tarot cards, so I'm sure he'll like you even more once you're introduced as my new girlfriend." The smile she gave him was wide and infectious as she launched herself into his arms, wrapping her arms around him tightly and planting a strong kiss on his cheek. He felt like crap for lying to her, but it was better than knowing the truth about Kurt and his judging ways.

"So I'll see you tonight," she said after she pulled away. "Just promise me one thing."

"Sure."

"If anything weird happens to you when I'm not around, please let me know about it. A text or something." He kissed her brow softly before nodding his head.

"Of course, Rachel. I promise." They said their goodbyes after that, even though a sense of dread filled him up the second he left her peaceful presence. He rode his bike home in the lingering twilight, trying to figure out how he was going to break the news to his brother about his magical girlfriend. When he arrived home he could only hope that Kurt had gone out with his secret lover or whatever so they could avoid the entire conversation.

The apartment was silent when Finn entered the darkened space stealthily, shutting the door behind him with a soft click. It had been over a day since he'd been home and he instinctively knew that Kurt was going to freak out over his disappearance, but his little possession problem took precedence over his step-brother. He fumbled with the lights for a moment before finally hitting them, bathing the kitchen in a soft glow, and the sight that immediately appeared in front of him was enough to make him startle and shout from shock as he stumbled backwards against the fridge.

_"Where the hell have you been?" _Came Kurt's shrill, screeching cry as he stood in the kitchen with his arms crossed over his chest. An annoyed glare was fixed solely on Finn, and he didn't like how small his younger step-brother was able to make him feel even though he towered over him, shuffling awkwardly from foot to foot.

"I was out," he replied, shrugging away the annoyance he felt at his brothers intrusion. "I've been busy."

"Too busy to come home and check in with your brother?" He huffed. "I didn't even get a text."

"I'm sorry, Kurt," he said, rubbing a small ache that seemed to pop up behind his temples. It was a steady pressure that began to pulse behind his eyes, building strength while Kurt continued his rant.

"I thought you were sleepwalking again!" The worry was thick in his tone. "I thought you were wandering around the streets of New York in an unconscious state of mind!"

"I was perfectly fine," he said, pushing past his brother and heading into the living room to escape his interrogation. The urge to tell him the truth about Rachel was winning over his need for secrecy as he took a deep breath and tried to explain. "I was with someone."

That calmed Kurt down real quick. "Really?" He said, his interest piqued. "A girl perhaps?"

Finn smiled, thinking about Rachel and their evolving relationship. "Yeah, a girl," he replied fondly, and was immediately inundated with questions.

"Who is she? Do I know her? What labels does she wear? Does she live in the city or Brooklyn? What does she do? Can she get us into any cool parties?"

"Jeez, calm down," he said with a scratch of his head. "Well, you do know her, but only as an acquaintance. I don't think she wears designer clothes, but she lives in the city and owns her own business. I highly doubt that she could get us into any parties, but who knows?" An image popped into his head then, of Rachel using her magic to somehow worm her way into a party, like a Jedi mind trick or something.

"So?" Kurt screeched. "Who is she?" Finn fixed him with a pointed look and shook his head.

"You have to promise me something first."

"What?"

"You have to promise you're not going to do that judging thing that I hate."

Kurt placed his hands on his hips with a heavy scoff. "What judging thing?"

"When you rip apart every girl I like and find all the reasons why she's not good enough for me," he explained, remembering the many past experiences where Kurt wormed his way into Finn's relationships. "And I happen to like this girl, a lot, so nothing you say is going to change my mind."

"Well if you're so sure of her, then nothing I say should matter," he said, and Finn knew in his gut that Kurt was right, but he didn't want to see the critical stares and turned up lip of his brother in regards to Rachel. She meant too much to him.

"You promise you'll be cool?" He asked, and Kurt nodded sharply.

"Promise."

Finn took a deep breathe and let it all out in a heavy exhale before he spoke. "I've been seeing Rachel. We started hooking up." Kurt stared at him for a moment with confusion in his gaze.

"Rachel? Rachel who?" Finn rolled his eyes liberally and tried to explain while the steady, cloying pressure in his head started to grow more intense by the minute.

"Rachel, the girl from the Tarot Card shop," he trailed off while Kurt's eyes went wide.

_"The witch?_" He screeched, his voice rising an octave and triggering a massive headache that pounded against Finn's skull. He felt miserable all of a sudden, and staggered slightly in order to keep his balance while Kurt continued to flip out over his new girlfriend. "Finn, you can't be serious!"

"I am," he said evenly, despite the pain that throbbed in his skull. He wanted to elaborate more, but he was too intimidated by Kurt's reaction to explain his little possession problem, and didn't give him any further details. "I like her. She's been trying to help me."

"Help you do what? I thought you were sleeping better now?"

"I am," he said hesitantly, the pressure in his head making stars flash in his eyes. A moan escaped his lips while a dull, hollow feeling filled his chest, creating a darkness inside him that was starting to gather up strength.

Something was wrong with him, he could feel it.

"So why are you hooking up with her?" He reached for his cell phone, typing up a quick message to send to Rachel. She was halfway across town, but he remembered the promise he'd made her before they parted for the night and delivered on it.

_I feel strange. Pressure in head. I think something is wrong. _

He sent the message with shaking hands while Kurt continued his rampage against his new girlfriend. This was exactly what he'd been trying to avoid as his emotions began to spiral out of control.

"I like her, Kurt. She understands me." He scoffed bitterly. "Way better than you do sometimes."

"What if she slipped you, like, a love potion or something?" Kurt asked while a dull anger started to course through Finn, remembering what Rachel had once said about her past relationships. Sure, he had passed judgment over her as well in the beginning, but he had learned his lesson right away and knew better than to accuse her of using her magic for any romantic gain.

"She didn't, Kurt, alright? She would never do something like that to me."

"So, is the sex magical?" He asked with a smirk and Finn had the sudden urge to punch it off his face. He normally wasn't a violent person, and questioned the overwhelming anger that suddenly blazed in his blood as he faced down his brother. He had to clench his fists at his side in order to restrain himself, and he didn't like the frustration that filled his mind with a violent haze.

"You don't know what you're talking about," Finn said sternly while the lights began to flicker around the apartment. Kurt's eyes went wide as he stared at his brother, and the pain in Finn's head became too much for him to bear. With a loud, guttural yell, Finn fell to his knees, gripping his head while the lights continued to flicker all around him. The darkness he felt was starting to take over all rational thought, and it felt like his body was no longer his own.

It was happening. The demon was seizing control.

"Finn, what's wrong?" Kurt asked calmly while Finn tried to focus and fight against the forces that were trying to take control of him. He gripped his head, shaking it fiercely, trying to shake away the emptiness and darkness that was pushing him away. Normally when the demon took control it was instantaneous, but now he could feel it's power fighting against him. He could only assume it was Rachel's protection spells hard at work, trying to keep the evil out of his aura.

"I need Rachel," he gasped while the pain threatened to split his head in two. "Only she can help me."

"What's wrong?" He asked, now thoroughly panicked at the rapid change of events.

"I can't fight it," he grit through clenched teeth. "I need her. . . "

"Fight what?" Kurt asked, now thoroughly confused. How could he even begin to explain what was happening to him? It didn't matter anyway, as the demon inside of him started to seize control, pushing him away and exiling him into the deepest parts of his subconscious. It was like having an out-of-body experience; he could see what was happening around him but had no control over his body or his mind. A fear chilled him to the bone as he felt the dark presence enter his head, fighting against him and trying to take over.

_"Your soul is mine," _the chilling voice called to him, somewhere from deep within him, and he fought harder than ever to remain in control of his body while the pain in his head exploded in a surge of agony.

"No!" He screamed, ignoring the shock on Kurt's face as he tried to keep himself together. His brother was staring at him with pure terror in his eyes as he continued to writhe around on the floor. The panic was thick in his voice when he called out to Kurt.

"Get Rachel!" He let go of his pounding head long enough to grab onto Kurt's sleeve and gripped it tightly in his fist before his vision went black and his mind went blank.

* * *

Something was wrong.

Rachel ran down the road in a rush, pushing past the people that littered the streets and trying to focus on a complicated spell. She had the piece of paper with Finn's address on it clutched in her palm, and she was chanting to herself while trying not to think about the panicked text message she had received a half an hour ago. She would have left the shop sooner if not for her lingering customers, and abruptly locked up so she could quickly make it uptown.

With the paper gripped in her hand, she visualized the address, focusing her powers on that one place and needing to be there above anything else in the world. When she turned the corner onto Houston Street, she immediately found herself transported onto 1st Avenue, about twenty blocks northeast of where she had just been walking.

Thank goodness the spell had worked. Not even public transportation moved as fast as her magic did.

She nodded to herself, proud of her abilities, and approached the apartment building, channeling her growing panic and making the front door fly open like a giant gust of wind had battered it in. The energy that greeted her upon entering the building made the hair on her body stand on end, and a foreboding sense of danger was making the atmosphere thick and stifling. The overwhelming instinct to run flooded her system but she ignored it, pushing through her fear in order to complete the task at hand.

Finn needed her. There was definitely something wrong.

She approached his apartment slowly, hesitantly, noticing the lack of sound coming from inside the walls as she knocked on the door. When there was no answer she pounded harder, and when loud noises started to bleed into the hallway she could hear the frightened shouts of a man as some footsteps came closer.

When the door was ripped open she was greeted by the frazzled appearance of Finn's step-brother, Kurt, a man she had only met once. There was a wild look of madness in his eyes and his perfectly coiffed head of hair was sticking up in various directions as he sucked in deep, heaving breaths.

Before she knew what was happening, Kurt grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her inside, slamming the door behind him and making her gasp from shock. She looked up at his haggard appearance and wondered what had happened to put him in such a state.

"Thank God you came!" He said, his words coming out in a rush of syllables. "I was about to call a priest!"

"What happened?" Her tone darkened instantly when she saw the look of panic on his face. "Where is Finn?"

Kurt shook his head. "He went psycho crazy! He tried to kill me!" He pointed towards the bedroom with a pale face and shaking hands. "I locked him in the bedroom but, I don't know. It sounds crazy, but it's like he's possessed!"

"It's not crazy," she tried to reassure him. "I guess Finn didn't tell you then?"

"About what? The fact that he's dating a witch?"

"Never-mind," she said with a wave of her hand, trying not to let his sarcastic tone affect her. "I'll explain later. Now where's his bedroom?" Kurt pointed down the hall, where a large door stood at the very end, blocked by what looked like a giant ottoman. As she stared down the hall she noticed the swirling energies that accumulated in front of his room, and the sense of foreboding that hung heavy in the air. "Kurt, you have to tell me exactly what happened before you locked Finn in his room."

"He said you were the only person who could help him," he stated, making a soft blush rise to her cheeks. "He was clutching his head, shaking and moaning, before he completely snapped. It was like Finn had completely checked out and he tried to attack me. After that he chased me into his room where I was able to duck out and barricade the door. I keep hearing weird noises coming from the inside, but he hasn't tried to break down the door yet so I don't know what's going on."

Rachel stared at the door to Finn's bedroom with anger in her eyes, knowing that inside was a demon who was using her boyfriend as a puppet despite her steadfast determination to keep him safe. If the demon was strong enough to break through both their tether and her potions then she was going to have to work harder than ever before at keeping him protected.

"Alright, I need you to open all the windows and get some fresh air circulating in this apartment. It's too stale and we need to chase out the negative energy I feel here." Kurt looked at her like there was something dirty under his nose.

"Negative energy? I assure you that there's nothing _negative_ about this apartment."

"I disagree," she said immediately. "I can practically feel it swirling in the air." She closed her eyes, trying to sense the cause of it. . . "You were fighting with Finn before he freaked out, weren't you?" Kurt looked absolutely stunned as his mouth dropped open.

"How did you know?"

"I could sense it," she explained. "Whatever argument you two had shifted the balance of energy in the apartment, and Finn could no longer fight against the negativity on his own." Kurt threw his hands up in the air, looking overwhelmed.

"You sound like a crazy person!" He roared angrily. "Tell me what is wrong with my brother!"

_"He's possessed!" _She screamed back, equally frustrated at his judging stares. "Finn is possessed by a demon, Kurt. He needs to stay calm and balanced in order to keep the dark forces from taking over and he can't do that if he's fighting with his step-brother." There was silence in the apartment, and for a moment the lights started to flicker, something that was not of Rachel's doing as she stared down the hallway once more. "I know you don't want to believe it, but I can't help Finn without you. You're the one who can be with him when I can't, so it's up to you to make sure he stays as balanced and neutral as possible while I keep his aura purified and clean."

Rachel waited a few moments for Kurt to say something, _anything_ in regards to his brother's situation. He stayed quiet however, and stood to the side while Rachel sighed and started to open up the windows in the living room. She unpacked some cleansing supplies out of her bag and lit a smudge of sage to purify the room. From the corner of her eyes she saw Kurt make a face at the pungent odor, but he didn't say another word until Rachel started to purify the apartment, interrupting her while she was trying to begin her ritual.

"Excuse me?" He asked hesitantly. She turned around and obliged him as he asked his question. "I might be new at this, but shouldn't you be helping out my brother? I'm pretty sure my living room isn't the one being possessed by demons."

"That's where you're wrong," she corrected kindly, looking around the tastefully decorated space. "The energy in this apartment is feeding the demon and needs to be cleansed. Once that happens the demon will be vulnerable, and then I can help Finn."

"Whatever you say," Kurt said with a shrug of his shoulders. "Cleanse away." She turned back to her task and the smell of burned sage was starting to overwhelm all her other senses, so she started the purification ritual under the watchful eye of her boyfriend's step-brother. Her mind was focused and her powers were sharp as she cleansed the energy in the room, and when the lights started to flicker wildly around them, pulsing to the beat of the energy she felt, she knew that the demon was starting to get very angry at her intrusion.

"Please tell me you're the one doing that," Kurt whispered, sounding terrified, and before she could answer the question the light bulb in the kitchen exploded in a burst of electricity, scattering shattered glass all over the floor. Kurt immediately shrieked and climbed onto the sofa, pulling his feet up like the floor was made of lava.

"No, that's the demon," she replied calmly, still working her magic on the apartment.

"Well why can't you just get rid of it!?" He asked, borderline hysterical while she sighed.

"Because as you can tell, it doesn't like me. It's much more powerful than anything else I've ever faced, and I'm worried that If I tried to get rid of it myself, it would try to take me too." Kurt didn't answer her, but he didn't ask any more questions and for that she was grateful. It was too difficult trying to participate in a conversation and use her magic efficiently, so she focused on the cleansing and not on the existential crisis that Kurt was having on the couch.

When a deep, guttural growl started to bleed through the walls, Rachel's skin erupted in millions of tiny goosebumps that sensitized her flesh while a deep sense of foreboding settled into her bones. The door down the hallway started to shake like there was an earthquake under their feet while the rest of the apartment was completely still. She looked over at Kurt and he was curled up in a ball with a couch cushion hiding his face, like a scared child during a horror movie. He lifted the pillow up enough that Rachel could see his panic-filled expression.

"What was that noise?" He asked, and he growl could be heard again, even louder this time. She braced herself for the impending explosion as the ottoman in front of Finn's door flew across the apartment, and with a loud slam Finn had escaped his room and stood in the hallway in silence as Kurt sat on the sidelines, staring in shock.

His eyes were a liquid black color that seemed empty, like a endless chasm of despair while his body stood rigid in front of them. Standing in the hallway, he slowly started to make his way towards the living room, where Rachel was trying to purify the apartment. With a curl of his upper lip he stalked down the hall, the aura around Finn's body thick and swirling with evil.

"Rachel, he's coming!" Kurt warned her while he jumped from the couch. He stood behind Rachel like she was a human shield while she tried to stay focused. She looked up at the soulless eyes of her boyfriend and screamed when he lunged for her, pushing Kurt out of the way as he fell onto the ground with a loud thud, cracking his head on the wooden floor. Rachel's heart was pounding as the demon stared at her through Finn's eyes, and while her powers were strong enough to purify it there was nothing protecting her from Finn's natural physical strength, which the demon was using to it's full advantage.

Finn's large, warm hands wrapped around her neck, squeezing tightly while Rachel tried to suck in as much air as possible. The instantaneous panic hit her like a mack truck as she struggled to break free from his grasp, and a sick, sadistic smile was pulling up his cheeks as he stared down at her in victorious glee. Her lungs were burning for air and she couldn't focus on her magic when she couldn't even breathe. It was like she could feel the life draining from her as he gripped her around the throat, and she could feel the tears leaking out of her eyes helplessly while he grinned down at her like a maniac, choking her to death with no remorse.

The overwhelming urge to give up and fall victim to the demon was strengthening, but right before she was about to rescind all hope the grip around her neck loosened, and when she lifted up her head once more she could see the blackness leaking out of Finn's eyes, slowly lightening into the deep, chestnut brown color that made her heart skip a beat. The menacing smirk on his lips started to fade away, and his satisfied expression slowly melted into one of horror. The hands fell away from her neck like her skin had burned him, and with a violent cough she felt the oxygen refilling her lungs. She staggered around for a second, trying to regain her sense of balance while Finn gripped his head and backed up away from her. It looked like he was having a battle with himself as he shook his head back and forth, putting as much space between them while she tried to catch her breath. Once there was fresh air pumping through her body she focused all her energy on Finn and gave him the strongest purification she could, cleansing both the apartment and his aura at the same time. Her sense of panic and urgency fueled her magic, and before long Finn had fallen to the floor, still clutching his head and softly moaning while Kurt regained consciousness.

Rachel collapsed onto the floor with heaving breaths, holding her neck tenderly while her heart continued to pound like a jackhammer. The fear was starting to dissipate but it was a slow process, and she stared at Finn like he could attack her again at any moment while Kurt pulled himself up off the floor and onto the couch. She curled herself into the fetal position and waited for something to happen.

No one said a word to one another. Not until Finn started to stir.

"What happened?" He said weakly, dragging his head off of the floor while she sat up. "Did I . . .?" He trailed off, his eyes going wide as he clutched his head again with a deep groan. "I did this," he said firmly, nodding his head. "I attacked you guys."

"It wasn't your fault," she said, even though her voice sounded weak and hoarse from the attack. He took one look at her neck and froze, his face hardening into an expression of anger.

"Yes it is!" He said angrily. "Look at your neck, Rachel. I did that!"

"The demon did it."

"Yeah, and he did it through me." Finn glanced at his brother on the couch and Kurt said nothing, looking away from him and then escaping from the living room before Finn had the chance to speak. The dull slam of Kurt's bedroom door made them both wince as he stared after him in despair. "He probably hates me now."

"He doesn't understand what's going on," she tried to reassure him.

"Fuck, Rachel," he cursed angrily. "I don't even know what's going on anymore! How come nothing we do is working?" The despair was starting to seep into his voice and she finally pulled herself up from the floor, heading over to him and crouching at his level.

"I don't know, Finn. But we can't give up now. Tonight has proved one thing to me: that no matter what happens we need to work harder than ever before to keep everything balanced."

"I don't even know what happened. One minute Kurt and I were talking, the next I was being taken over."

"Well, what were you talking about?"

"You," he said instantly while her heart started to pound. "He was giving me a hard time about dating a witch and, I don't know, something in me just _snapped."_

"You need to stay away from confrontations, the demon feeds on them," she explained. "Emotions like anger, sadness, anxiety; they feed into the darkness. You need to try to stay as calm as possible in order for your aura to stay pure."

_"Remember to stay in the light,"_ he murmured softly, under his breath.

"What?"

"Oh, nothing," he shook his head. "Just something you said to me in a dream. It didn't make sense then, but it kind of does now." He looked at her neck and touched the red marks on her skin with his fingertips. "I can't believe it did this to you. Kurt's probably so freaked out right now."

"He'll get over it. We need to tell him more information, though. In case he accidentally triggers an attack again." He didn't look like he believed her, and ducked away so he could pick himself up off the floor.

"Well, what happens if something does trigger an attack again? What if you're not around or you can't get to me? What if I actually _kill_ someone next time?" He shuddered violently. "You and I both know it could be you." His breathing was heavy and erratic and it looked like he was close to tears as he started to pace around the room. She finally picked herself off of the floor and sat on his comfortable couch.

"Finn," she reached out for him but he ignored her and continued to pace. She could almost feel the frustration building up in his aura again, and knew she had to keep him calm. "You need to remain as calm as possible. Please come here and sit with me. I already purified the apartment and your aura, so all this pacing and frustration is only going to undo everything I did," he shot her a tortured look where she could see the self-loathing swirling in his gaze. She reached out for him, urging him to let go of his pain and move on from the experience. It wouldn't do them any good to dwell on the negative, especially when he needed to stay as balanced as possible. "Besides, I already used most of my powers this evening. If I don't get a magic boost soon I'll be completely useless." She tried to make a joke but Finn wasn't laughing.

"How could you be so forgiving about all of this, Rachel?" He asked, his voice hollow. "I almost just strangled you!"

"That wasn't you, Finn!" She yelled, her patience waning after her rough evening. "I saw what happened tonight when you were taken over. You were able to fight against it, even for a moment. It's what saved my life."

He scoffed bitterly. "Yeah right."

"I'm serious," she got up from the couch and grabbed his forearm, stopping his pacing as he stared down at her. "I was looking into your eyes and I saw _nothing,_ Finn. It was like you weren't even there anymore. But for a single moment, you were able to come back and fight against it. Even though you were being taken over, you still knew what was happening to me, and if it wasn't for that moment of rebellion on your part I would be _dead _right now_._ You can't give up. I know the magic doesn't seem like it's working, but _it is,_ and we have to keep fighting."

He didn't say anything else, but he stopped pacing, and took her hand off of his forearm so he could link their fingers together. The simple gesture gave her hope, and she knew that no matter what happened, they weren't going to give up the fight.

"Will you stay the night with me?" He asked softly, hesitantly, like he was afraid she would say no. Part of her never wanted to leave his side again after what happened that evening, and knew it would be better if she stayed as close as possible to him from now on.

"Of course," she said breathlessly. "I'll re-cleanse the apartment in the morning, just in case." He stunned her by suddenly pulling her into his embrace, holding her tightly yet tenderly against him while he kissed her brow.

"There's something I want to take care of first," he said as she looked up at him, a certain emotion swirling in his eyes that made her body flush warm with heat. "Did you really use up most of your energy tonight?" His voice was low and made shivers trail down her spine.

"Yes," she replied honestly. "I did."

"Well, at least I know how to fix that," he said, and without warning he lifted her up in his arms and carried her to his bedroom, her squeals of delight bleeding through the walls as Finn let go of his pain and found his solace in the arms of his lover.

Even if that solace was only temporary.

* * *

Don't stop reviewing!


	6. Chapter Six

DISCLAIMER: I neither own Glee nor the characters. They are the property of Ryan Murphy and FOX. This is purely for fun. Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter Six**

* * *

The morning air was cold as it nipped at Finn's exposed skin, lifting him from his slumber as he tried to reach for a blanket and felt nothing around him but air. He blinked away the lingering sleep and curled towards the warmth next to him, coming in contact with satin-smooth skin as a heavenly fragrance filled his senses.

Rachel yawned widely next to him, nuzzling her cheek against his chest while he slowly became aware of his surroundings. He opened his eyes and stared at the dark messy hair that curtained her face, smiling when her eyes blinked open in confusion.

"Finn?" She asked with heavy fatigue in her voice. "I must have passed out here last night after we," she trailed off, a light blush tinting her cheeks. "Well, after we. . ."

"Recharged your batteries?" He finished for her, his lips pulled up in a wolfish grin. Last night had been stressful and scary, but at least he'd been able to find some comfort in Rachel's arms afterwards.

"Yeah," she said shyly before looking around her in confusion. "Finn?"

"Yes?" He cocked his head to the side, wondering what was wrong.

"Are we floating?" She asked, lifting her head slightly and looking around her. Finn looked down and saw his mattress a few feet below their levitated bodies, his sheets a crumpled mass of fabric beneath them.

"I guess so," he said, amused. "I didn't even realize it." He looked over at her and she looked completely shocked. "Why haven't we fallen yet?"

"I have no idea," she said in awe. "This has never happened to me before." A brightness entered her eyes as she suggested an idea. "Don't move an inch. I want to see how long this lasts." Finn nodded but made no other movement as Rachel looked around them in astonishment. After a few more moments of feeling completely weightless, Rachel grinned widely. "This is amazing."

"And so much more comfortable than falling on our asses." The laughter that escaped her mouth was as bright as the morning sunshine bleeding into his windows and filled him with a clarity that sent his heart pounding. Experiencing her magic firsthand was always exhilarating, but this moment was something really special.

"Take my hand," she said, reaching out to him and entwining her petite fingers in his thick ones. She smiled softly and closed her eyes, murmuring something under her breath. He watched her lips move as she cast her spell, wanting to capture them in his and kiss her until they fell together in a tangle of limbs, but he restrained himself and allowed her to work her magic. Slowly, steadily, the two of them stopped hovering in midair and gently made their way towards the ground, like gravity was trying to drag them back to earth with much resistance. Rachel opened her deep mahogany eyes and he was trapped in them as they softly landed on the bed, their faces mere inches apart as they rested on the pillows.

"Wow," she said breathlessly, still holding onto his hand even though they were no longer defying gravity. "That was amazing."

"Do you think it's because of the tether?"

"It has to be," she shrugged. "And it sure beats the rude awakening I've been used to since I was in braces."

"We should sleep in the same bed more often," the words slipped out of his mouth before he even knew what he was saying, and he wasn't sure how she would respond, seeing as they had only know each other for a few days. Instead of being bothered by the statement, however, she looked pleased, and blushed lightly before trying to tie back her messy hair.

"I think we should," with a wink and a smile, she had the power to instantly enchant him, and he couldn't resist pulling her close to him and pressing his lips against hers in a grateful kiss that got his blood racing in his veins. If it were up to him he would wake up floating next to her every morning and give her a power boost every night as he pulled his lips from hers and attacked her neck instead, nipping and biting at the sensitive flesh there.

Her body was warm against his as he held her, jutting his hips into hers and feeling the delicious friction race up his spine as he swelled and ached for more. Her skin tasted sweet as he dragged his tongue against her neck, but when she suddenly took a sharp intake of breath that sounded like a pain-filled hiss, he immediately pulled away.

And was greeted with a sight that turned his stomach. Her flawless, creamy skin was bruised terribly, the skin mottled in deep shades of blue and purple that perfectly matched the size of his fingers. A deep, burning guilt ate away at him like acid, filling him to the brim as he pushed himself away from her. Never in his life had he felt so ashamed of himself, when in reality the blame was solely on the creature that was trying to make his life a literal living hell.

"What's the matter?" She asked softly, trying to pull him out of his misery. He had no idea how she was able to stand him after what had happened the night before, but he was grateful for it. Even if it was the epitome of selfishness.

He touched the skin of her neck lightly, trying not to hurt her. "I still can't believe this happened to you. I feel lower than dirt." She took his hand in hers and brought it to her lips, where she kissed the knuckles softly.

"You have nothing to feel bad about, Finn. I told you this already. In fact, you should be proud of yourself. You're the one who was able to break free of it's control long enough to save me." Her hooded eyes were swirling with an emotion so powerful he couldn't even name it. "You're my hero, you know that?"

"And you're mine," was his instant response, knowing deep in the depths of his heart that the statement was true. She was his hero, his beacon of light pulling him out of the darkness in his soul. His lifeline when the world was spiraling out of control. It was becoming more and more evident that he couldn't survive this ordeal without her, and to be honest he didn't want to. He needed her, in more ways than one.

Rachel's beaming smile cut right through the anguish in his heart and slowly lifted him out of his sadness when she placed her petal-soft lips on his in earnest. The kiss ignited a passion inside of him that was instantaneous, and he would have reciprocated if not for the soft, steady knock on his bedroom door. With a groan he let his head fall back, frowning at the light giggles that slipped past her lips as she hopped out of bed and threw her clothes on haphazardly. He instantly missed the contact and the feeling of her smooth skin. He sat up in bed and pulled the sheets around his waist for modesty while Rachel opened the door.

It was Kurt, standing in the hallway and shuffling from foot to foot nervously as he peeked his head inside the room. Their eyes met and Finn looked away, instantly ashamed of what Kurt had witnessed the night before. What if it changed his relationship with his brother? What if he couldn't handle what was happening to him?

"Good morning, Kurt," Rachel said warmly, but Kurt looked wary of Finn's new girlfriend and wouldn't enter the room.

"Good morning," he said slowly. "Um, I just wanted to say that I'm sorry about freaking out last night. Things were kind of. . . ."

"Crazy?" Finn finished for him sympathetically.

"Yeah, I guess you can use that word to describe what I saw," his voice was slightly shaking. "But I wanted to extend the olive branch of peace and try to talk to you about what's going on," he trailed off, biting his lip. "So I could maybe try to understand what's been happening to you."

Finn nodded. "I think that sounds great."

"We'll be out in a minute," Rachel said, but before she could close the door so they could change, Kurt added one more detail.

"I also invited my boyfriend over for some brunch. I wanted you to meet him, Finn." He turned to Rachel with an apprehensive glance. "And you too, since you were the one who discovered our secret."

Rachel beamed and Finn could tell that Kurt was trying ridiculously hard to be civil. He appreciated it and was determined to be on his best behavior in front of the mystery boyfriend, Blaine. "It would be an honor to meet your boyfriend, Kurt. Thank you." They nodded at one another and Rachel shut the door, turning to Finn with a tentative smile.

"Well, he seems pretty well adjusted for what he witnessed last night." Finn shook his head in disbelief.

"I can't believe he's taking this all so well," he said. "But just in case he isn't we should avoid any magical talk when his boyfriend arrives. If we chase away his new fling with our crazy he'll never forgive us." She smiled at him softly, a look of pure adoration in her eyes as he shifted under her stare. "What is it?"

"Nothing," she said dreamily. "I like it when you refer to it as _'our crazy,_'" she said with a laugh. "It makes me feel like I'm not alone." A fierce affection gripped his heart as she flippantly dismissed her comment and started to get ready for her day. He wanted to hold her, to tell her that she wasn't alone anymore, to chase away all the fears that were still lingering in her heart, but he could tell by the beaming smile on her face that she knew it already as she bounced into the bathroom to her ready for the day.

Finn got ready much quicker than Rachel did, and joined Kurt in the living room while they waited for Blaine to arrive. The scent of sizzling food was lingering in the air and Finn's stomach gave an appreciative rumble in anticipation. He started to head into the kitchen to steal some toast when Kurt practically flung himself in front of him.

"No way. Not until my guest arrives." Finn pouted, but Kurt was defending his kitchen like a steadfast soldier.

"But I'm starving. I can't remember the last time I ate something that wasn't meant to cleanse my aura." Finn was trying to test the waters with Kurt, to see if he could handle a conversation about magic and not run away screaming. By the look of determination in his step-brother's eyes, Finn could tell that Kurt had been anticipating this.

"Well hopefully Rachel did enough cleansing last night and you can eat a proper meal. But not until Blaine arrives." He looked around anxiously, like anyone might overhear their conversation. "Do you think you two can refrain from talking about magic while he's here? I really like Blaine and now that we're trying to make our fling into an actual relationship I don't want to scare him off."

"I'll do my best," he said honestly. "But I can't say the same for Rachel."

"Yes," he mused, his voice sounding flat. "But since she saved us all last night, I really can't fault her for it. And here I thought magic was nothing but crystal balls and tarot cards."

Finn shrugged, hoping that Kurt's opinion of Rachel wasn't tarnished forever while his little brother sighed. "Well, I didn't even believe in that much and now look at me." He nodded his head towards the bathroom where Rachel was still getting ready. "She definitely opened my eyes."

Kurt was strangely quiet, and he looked over to find him staring at Finn with realization blooming in his eyes. "You really like her, don't you?"

Finn nodded, knowing deep down that Kurt's simple words didn't even begin to describe his feelings for her. The connection they felt. The magic they created.

"Yeah," he breathed, his voice filled with fondness. "I don't think I've ever felt this way about someone before."

"Then you have my blessing," Kurt said, reaching out to pat Finn on the arm. "I'm sorry we fought about it last night. Rachel said that's what made you freak out."

"Yeah, apparently," he said, relieved that Kurt didn't hold a grudge against him for something he couldn't control. "I gotta remain completely neutral and in control of my feelings or else it could attack again at any time. Rachel's been trying to find more people in the magical community to help us, but no one wants to get involved." Finn sighed while Kurt's eyes filled with concern. "If we don't find other witches to help us, then this thing is going to kill me and. . . " he trailed off, shuddering at the horror of it all. "Drag my soul into hell."

"Holy crap," Kurt whispered, his hand coming up to cover his mouth. He looked like he wanted to give him some reassurance, and for Finn it was definitely needed, but at that moment there was a buzz coming from downstairs, and his brother shot Finn a sympathetic smile before heading over to the intercom and greeting his guest.

"Come on up," Kurt said, and Finn waited patiently for their guest while Rachel finally exited the bedroom and joined them. Finn wrapped an arm around her shoulders while she stared at the food that Kurt had made.

"Is he here yet?"

"No, he's on his way upstairs," Rachel's timid smile slowly started to droop as something began to distract her. "Are you okay?"

"I feel something," she said in a whisper while Kurt went to open the door. "Something odd. Something I haven't felt in a long time." A sense of panic washed over him as their guest arrived, and Finn could only hope that whatever Rachel felt was neutral as a slim, short, dark haired man stepped into the apartment. He had a jovial smile on his face and was carrying a bottle of white wine as Kurt pushed him forward to introduce him to Finn and Rachel.

"Blaine, this is my brother Finn and his girlfriend Rachel," Finn's arm tightened around her and a surge of pride burst through him when Kurt introduced her as his girlfriend. He held out his hand for Blaine to shake and the guy looked slightly intimidated but still enthusiastic.

"Kurt has told me all about you, Finn. It's a pleasure." He looked down at Rachel so she could introduce herself but the girl in his arms was stiff, and was staring at Blaine with unabashed shock in her gaze. Kurt was shooting him looks of panic when the two of them stood there, neither one reaching for the other's hand to make the acquaintance. It was like time had frozen for a moment before Finn gently nudged her on the side, and when she finally snapped out of her trance, she looked more shocked than ever.

"Is something wrong?" Kurt asked slowly while the color drained from Blaine's face. He turned to Kurt with panic in his eyes and started to back up towards the door.

"I g-gotta go," he stuttered, and Finn could see the anguish on Kurt's face instantly.

"But you just got here!"

"I-I'm sorry," he said, but when he tried to open the door a burst of wind shut it again, and no matter how hard he tried, the door refused to budge. Finn looked to Rachel for answers and was shocked at the rigid concentration he saw on her features. Her hands were reaching towards the door, and Finn knew that she was the reason why he couldn't leave.

"Rachel, what are you doing?" He asked, while Kurt stared in shock.

"I knew I felt something familiar," she said to herself while shaking her head as Blaine continued to struggle for escape. "It's not every day you meet a warlock as powerful as Blaine is."

* * *

The entire room was as silent as death while Rachel's statement echoed in the apartment. Blaine ceased his struggles instantly, letting his hands drop from the doorknob as his head bent forward in shame. Kurt and Finn were staring at her with wide eyes filled with disbelief while she stood her ground. She didn't make it a habit to uncover the identities of other magical beings in the community, but she couldn't let an opportunity like this pass her by. Finn's entire life depended on her ability to exorcise the demon in him and it was common fact that she couldn't do it alone.

Having the help of a talented warlock, however, would greatly aide her in her task.

"I'm sorry," Kurt's annoyed voice cut through the silence while Blaine still had his back facing them all. She felt terrible for putting them all in such an awkward position, since Kurt obviously had no clue that his lover was of the magical breed. "But what did you call my boyfriend?"

"A warlock is a male witch, Kurt," Finn explained patiently while Blaine slowly turned around to face them. He looked completely despondent and ready to bolt, but Rachel held the door firmly in place. "Rachel said she felt something earlier and it must have been Blaine's magic."

"I didn't want to have to do this," she explained slowly while both Kurt and Blaine stared at her with annoyance in their gaze. "I'm not in the business of outing witches and warlocks to their significant others, but this is an emergency. We need your help, Blaine."

"And why would I want to do that?" He said angrily, his brows furrowing. "I came here for a simple brunch with my boyfriend and I can't even do that without getting pulled into someone's magical drama. Whatever it is you can count me out of it."

"Wait," Kurt said, cutting through the tension that was steadily building around them. "Are you telling me that Blaine can help Finn?" Rachel nodded her head vigorously and tried to explain.

"Yes, of course he can. Remember what I told you last night? I can't get rid of this thing by myself." Kurt nodded and approached his boyfriend, who still looked like he wanted to run for the hills. Blaine's face fell instantly the moment they were standing face-to-face, their eyes locked on one another.

"So you're really a _warlock?" _He choked on the word.

"Yes," Blaine answered honestly. "I didn't want to tell you because I didn't know how you would react. I didn't know your brother was dating a witch, I would have told you sooner."

"I didn't know either until last night. In fact, I think it's better that I know now. I wouldn't have been able to handle it before," Kurt turned to look at Rachel with a soft smile. "But now I think I'm starting to get used to all of this."

"So you're not mad?" Blaine looked like he was about to burst into tears at any moment.

"No, I'm not mad. Surprised, but not mad." They shared a tender moment that was so intense that Rachel had to look away, a deep blush highlighting her cheeks as she peeked up at Finn. He was looking at her as well, and her heart swelled with affection for him as she was locked in his gaze. She knew exactly what Blaine was feeling at the moment; the warm glow of acceptance and the promise of something wonderful. "It kind of makes sense. You never sleep over and you're always giving me those smelly herb sachets. . . "

"They're supposed to balance out your levels of anxiety," he said while brushing some dust off of Kurt's shoulders. "You're always so stressed out at work." Blaine grabbed the lapels of his jacket and gently pulled him in for a lingering kiss that Rachel found to be very sweet. Finn, however, wasn't too keen on their PDA.

"Alright, well," he said, grabbing their attention. "While we all understand the benefits of stinky-ass herbs, I think we should start telling Blaine about our little problem," he rolled his eyes. "Well, my little problem."

"Does it have anything to do with the dark aura I've been feeling around this apartment?" Blaine asked. "Because it is _strong."_

"Unfortunately, yes," Rachel said sternly. "Finn has a dark entity attached to his aura and despite all of my steadfast spell-casting it never stays gone for long. I'm too afraid to try to get rid of it by myself, but if you were to help me we would be able to get rid of it and help Finn for good."

"I don't even know you people," he said angrily, and Rachel could see Kurt wincing in her periphery. "Why should I help you when you're giving me very little choice in the matter?"

"Because he's my brother, Blaine," Kurt begged, his eyes filled with tears he refused to let fall. "He's my brother and I'm worried about him. Something is trying to take control of him and it's trying to hurt me and Rachel as well." He took Blaine's hands in his while Rachel and Finn watched the scene unfold in silence. "I know this is all happening really fast, and there are a lot of things that I still don't understand, but all I know is that Finn is in trouble and you can help him." His lower lip trembled while Blaine still looked hesitant. "Please?"

Rachel could almost see Blaine's resolve crumble in front of her eyes as the man sighed and squeezed Kurt's hands in his own. "You have no idea how dangerous this could be," he explained, his voice heavy with hesitance. "If we try to do this, for real, we all could end up dead."

"But that's not going to happen," Rachel interrupted when she saw the fear enter Finn's eyes. He had to stay as neutral as possible in order to keep the demon at bay and she couldn't have him worrying for any reason. "With our combined abilities we'll definitely be strong enough to overpower this thing."

"You don't know that," Blaine spit through gritted teeth, his eyes flashing. "Have you ever even dealt with one of these things before? They're vicious and they take no prisoners. To be honest, it might try to take us with it, and then we'll all be forced to suffer for the rest of eternity."

"At least we wouldn't be alone," Finn added softly, and Rachel had to agree. Picturing Finn all alone in the depths of darkness until the universe ended was an image that was sure to haunt her nightmares forever. She had to find a way to save him, no matter what the cost or sacrifice may be.

"We're doing this," Rachel said firmly. "And with your help, Blaine, this will be a success. I'm sure of it. We just need the right supplies and the right timing and the rest will fall into place."

"Well what about Samhain?" Blaine offered. Kurt and Finn held matching stares of confusion.

"What's Samhain?" Kurt asked while Blaine smiled softly and tried to explain.

"It's the most important holiday in the Wiccan calendar. The time when the border between magic and reality is at it's weakest. You would probably recognize it by it's more familiar name. Halloween."

Finn's face pinched into a frown and he shook his head bitterly at the news. Rachel approached him slowly, reading his aura and breathing a sign of relief at how neutral it looked. Hopefully her last purification did the trick for the time being. "What's wrong, Finn?"

"Nothing, really," he trailed off, still frowning. "I just wanted this thing to be over with before my birthday." There was silence in the room after his statement, and Rachel felt as if her heart had stuttered before pounding like a jackhammer while all the pieces in her head finally fell into place.

"What did you just say?" She asked, and Blaine looked just as shocked at the news.

"What? About my birthday?" He scratched the back of his head. "I always used to love having my birthday on Halloween because of all the candy but as an adult it's not nearly as fun anymore." His face scrunched in confusion while Rachel was on the verge of hyperventilating. "Why? What's wrong?"

"That's why the demon wants you," she breathed, completely incredulous. "Why didn't I ask you this before?"

"What?"

"Do you understand the significance of this, Finn?" Her voice raised an octave but her boyfriend was still oblivious to his plight. "Halloween is the day of magic; of ghosts and spirits. It's when the barrier between worlds is at it's thinnest and most vulnerable. Your soul, when you were born, was able to break free of the spirit world to have a new life here. Now the demons are trying to pull it back on the one day that it's the most vulnerable, because of your special attachment to the date. The closer we get to Halloween, the stronger the demon is becoming until it's powerful enough to bring you back to the other side."

A few beats of silence followed her revelation, and the only noise that could be heard in the tastefully decorated department was the sound of heavy breathing as everyone processed the news. Kurt looked like he was biting his nails down to the clear, and Finn was as white as a ghost while he started to pace around the living room. She turned to Blaine and there was a look of resolve on his face that gave her hope as she dropped her voice to a whisper.

"So are you going to help us? Halloween is only days away."

"I don't think I have a choice. Time is running out for him and he doesn't have that many options. Besides, he's Kurt's brother and I can't say no to that."

"Thank you. We'll have to do some really extensive research to prepare for this, though."

"I know, and I'll see what I can find in my books as well. Maybe something there can help."

She nodded and turned back towards Finn, who was taking the news of his imminent demise very well for someone who hadn't even believed in magic before a week ago. His brow was pinched tight in concentration and he was lost in thought, pacing around the apartment as if he were trying to wear a hole through the rug. Rachel allowed him time to process the influx of information while Kurt and Blaine busied themselves with readying brunch. She went over to him and he barely seemed to notice her as he continued to pace. Rachel slowed down his movements by reaching out for his hand and taking it in hers. His head snapped up instantly, and the confusion that clouded his eyes was focused solely on her as he squeezed her hands tight.

"It's going to be okay, Finn," she reassured him.

"I'm going to die on my birthday," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

"No you're not," she emphasized, and she hoped that her voice was strong enough to break through the wall of despair he had built up around him. "Blaine has agreed to help. We just have to keep you completely balanced until Halloween. It's only a week away."

"And how many times will the demon try to kill the people in my life before then?" He asked, and she could almost see the tension building in his aura. This stress was not helping their situation at all. "It only seems to be getting stronger the closer we get to my birthday. What if I can't last that long?"

"You will," she said, her lower lip trembling as a pang of sadness echoed in her heart. "You have to." She shut her eyes against the pain. "I just found you, Finn. I've been waiting my entire life to feel this way about someone and I can't lose you so soon."

He seemed to brighten a bit as he dipped his head closer to her. "Feel what way?"

"Like I've finally found a place where I belong," she said, inching near him and breathing in his warm, masculine scent. "Like I've found everything I ever thought was missing from my life. I don't want to let those feelings go. I _can't_ let it take you." The tears were welling in her eyes but she didn't want to let him know how devastating a thought it was to her as she bit them back. Instead she closed the distance between them and placed her lips on his, ignoring the pain in her heart and focusing solely on Finn and the way he made her feel.

He deepened the kiss, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her in so close that she was surrounded by Finn Hudson from all sides. His hands held her hips firmly while his tongue claimed her mouth. She could do nothing but acquiesce to him and his ardent demands as she lost herself in the emotion he inspired in her, powering her magic and fueling her affection toward him. It only strengthened her resolve to get rid of the demon so they could experience their emotions without the threat of danger.

"Ahem," someone's light coughing snapped her out of her Finn-induced trance, and she pulled away from his lips and looked up to see Kurt and Blaine staring at them with a mix of amusement and impatience on their faces. Kurt was standing by the table with his arms crossed over his chest, looking stern.

"No making out during brunch," he scolded. "You don't see my tongue halfway down Blaine's throat do you?"

"Well, babe, that can be arranged," Blaine teased with a wiggle of his eyebrows. Kurt waved him off with a scowl.

"No! I didn't spend half the morning making egg white omelets and portabello burgers so we could taste them on each other's tongues." Rachel and Finn reluctantly pulled apart, and she could feel the heat burning her cheeks while she sat at the table. She spared a glance at Finn and he no longer looked as forlorn as he'd been before. Now there was a certain hope in his eyes, and when his gaze met hers he smiled softly, reaching under the table to hold her hand. Looking at her and raising his mimosa towards his friends, he cleared his throat and held her steady in his sight.

"To my friends," he said firmly, his eyes bouncing from Rachel to Blaine and back. "And the magic we create together."

Rachel had to choke through the emotion in her voice as she smiled and said, "Cheers."

* * *

The final showdown is upon us! Get ready for the epic battle against evil!

Don't stop reviewing!


	7. Chapter Seven

DISCLAIMER: I neither own Glee nor the characters. They are the property of Ryan Murphy and FOX. This is purely for fun. Enjoy!

* * *

**A/N**: I am ever so sorry for the delay! For those of you who were unaware, Hurricane Sandy hit my area right before Halloween, knocking out my power for DAYS, and I am super sorry I was unable to finish this before the holiday. I hope you still enjoy the ending, though! Thank you for your support in this story.

* * *

**Chapter Seven**

* * *

The next week was nothing short of torture for Finn as every day brought him closer and closer to Halloween and the threat of his own demise. Ever hour was another struggle to stay balanced and even when the dark energies inside of him were gaining strength as Samhain approached. Rachel was doing everything she could in order to keep Finn's aura purified, but no matter what she did he could still feel the demon in the periphery of his mind, trying to take control and wreak even more havoc on his life.

It was almost too much for him to take. There was no control left in his life anymore and he was too apprehensive to leave Rachel's side for any extended amount of time. Finn had to take a personal leave from work, since there was no way he could claim "demon possession" on any health clearance form. He was shuffling between his apartment and Rachel's at night, and during the day it was like a never-ending study session with Rachel, Kurt and Blaine, hitting their ancient books to try and find some information that could help them in their exercise in exorcism. It was exhausting, frustrating, and tense, which completely counteracted the efforts he was making to stay calm.

Thankfully, he had Rachel with him to diffuse some of that anxiety.

The only solace he had left in the world was in her arms, and every night was spent in the magic of her embrace. She was the anchor that held him down when evil was trying to drag him under, and he relied on her now more than ever as the dark forces inside of him grew stronger with every passing day. He wanted to protect her; he knew that she was at risk as well because of her powers and wanted to keep his distance, but he just couldn't. Just being away from her for a moment was enough to send his emotions spiraling into negative territory, and by the time Halloween approached they were practically attached at the hip.

Or, to be more specific, by the groin.

"Finn!" Rachel cried during the rush of passion as he tried to re-energize her after a particularly draining purification ritual. They were now averaging three rituals a day and in order to keep Rachel healthy, he had to do his part and provide her the services she needed.

Its not like he was complaining about it.

He loved staring up at her face as he laid back on her bed and watched her ride him slowly, taking her time to build up as much energy within her as possible. He would never get tired of the way she seemed to glow during these moments, like her soul was trying to reach out towards his until they were one. It was like watching her magic come to life, swirling and twisting and building around them until they were basking in it's glow. Rachel's face was alight with bliss as she rolled her hips and sent electricity shooting through his body, bringing them closer and closer to their peak.

Finn held her steady by the hips, his thrusts increasing with fervor as the pleasure began to wash over him in waves. She flung her head back, beautiful breasts bouncing, her mouth open in a silent scream as she fell apart on top of him. He could feel her body clenching around him, milking his own release as a powerful tide of sensation washed over him, pulled him out into the depths where he wanted to drown in the overwhelming pleasure of it all. For a moment there was no sound but heaving breaths and contented sighs as their bodies separated and they basked in the afterglow of their lovemaking. When he opened his tired eyes Rachel had curled next to his side, smiling softly and relaxing into the sheets next to him.

"Hey," he said softly, his voice still husky from their strenuous activities. Her response was a sexy smile and a soft kiss on his willing lips.

"Hey," she repeated, her eyes bright.

"You feeling better?"

"Much better, actually," she winked and sat up in bed, splaying her body over his chest and looking down into his eyes. "You know what they say: Practice makes perfect."

"Well that seemed pretty perfect to me," he replied, cupping her face in his palm. "But I'm worried about your powers. You've been working harder than ever trying to keep me balanced and I'm nervous. I don't want you to be weak when tomorrow's the big day." Finn should have been excited for his 25th birthday, but to be honest, he kind of wished tomorrow would never come. Rachel and Blaine had warned him that he would be vulnerable the moment the sun set on All Hallows Eve, and he was thoroughly planning on staying locked up in Rachel's shop all day, away from any innocent bystanders who could get hurt in the midst of a rampage. Every second that passed brought him closer to his demise as fear threatened to creep into his heart. He quickly chased that fear away, though; Rachel had been warning him non-stop to stay emotionally balanced so the demon couldn't be enticed or encouraged in his attacks.

So far, it had been working. Finn hadn't experienced anything out of the ordinary since that fateful night last week when he had almost killed his girlfriend, and he knew without a doubt that it was all because of Rachel and her powerful, magical influence. She kept him balanced, grounded. She purified his aura and calmed his spiraling emotions; helping him to stay in control of his feelings, despite the darkness that ruthlessly tried to creep into his heart.

"Finn, you have absolutely nothing to worry about," she smiled softly, chasing away the lingering fear in his mind. "I've been going over the spell all week long with Blaine and we're confident that it's going to do the trick tomorrow and chase away this thing for good." After days and nights of endless researching through every volume of text they both owned, Rachel and Blaine were able to find an exorcism spell that would work for Finn. All they needed was for the sun to set on Halloween, and they would be ready to complete their task.

Despite the dangers that threatened them all.

"But what if the spell doesn't work?" He voiced his fears out loud. "What if it backfires, or the demon overpowers you and tries to take you and Blaine down with it?" The apprehension was thick in his tone as he voiced his fears out loud. "What if I don't survive?"

"I won't let that happen, Finn," she said sternly, forcing him to look into the depths of her dark eyes. He saw nothing but honesty there, and determination to see this task completed. "I'm going to do everything in my power to make sure we all get out of this alive and demon-free."

"I hope so, Rachel," he said, wrapping his arms around her and holding her close. "I really, really hope so."

* * *

He looked out of the front windows of Rachel's shop and sighed at the people of all shapes and sizes, dressed up in their costumes and enjoying the fun of the day. The sun was already lingering above the western horizon, and Rachel and Blaine were busy lighting the dozens and dozens of candles that were spread around the back room, where the ritual was taking place. Finn had spent the day completely cooped up, for his own protection of course, and while he should have been shoving his face full of candy and birthday cake, he was worrying about whether or not he would live to see 26.

"Hey," Finn flinched and jumped in place as Kurt stood behind him and snapped him out of his trance. The costumed people kept passing by the shop but Finn shut the curtains and faced reality as he looked into his brothers worried expression.

"What's up?"

"Did you talk to Carole today?" Finn sighed and let his head fall forward as his heart lurched in his chest.

"Yeah. She called to wish me a happy birthday," and it had been the most painful conversation of his life. His poor mother, still living in Ohio with Kurt's father Burt, was completely unaware of her son's plight and the danger he was currently trying to face. It was hard to pretend that everything was okay; that Finn wasn't being threatened by dark forces who wanted to drag his soul into hell. She didn't even know about Rachel yet. But he had to talk to her, just once more, in case he didn't make it past sunset. He and his mother had always been close, and the stilted, rushed conversation left him feeling raw and emotional. The exact opposite of what he was supposed to be feeling. "Things in Ohio seem fine."

"But you didn't tell her about tonight, did you?"

He shook his head and counted to ten, calming himself down before he started to get frustrated. "What was I supposed to say, Kurt? Tonight's my birthday and I might not live to see another one. It's better if she doesn't know about all this. You and I both know she wouldn't understand."

Kurt nodded his head with a frown. "Hell, there are some things that I still don't understand and I've been researching demon possession for the last week." Finn nodded, lost in the turmoil of his thoughts while Rachel and Blaine emerged from the back room, looking stone-faced and serious.

"It's time to begin," Blaine said firmly, his voice holding no room for argument.

"Come on, Finn," Rachel held out her hand and he took it, squeezing lightly and instinctively knowing that there was no turning back. Taking a deep breath, he walked into the back room with Rachel at his side and stared at awe at the transformed space in front of him. Hundreds of candles were spread around the spacious back room, with a tall black pillared candle on each of the five points of the pentagram on the floor. Dark fabric was draped over the bookshelves and tables, and there was a long length of thick, strong rope on the ground.

"What's the rope for?" Finn asked. It was the one thing that really caught his attention amidst all the chaos around him.

"You'll see," Rachel said, leading him to the center of the pentagram. Sunset must have been approaching fast, because there was a pressure beginning to build in his head, and as soon as he entered the pentagram it erupted into a painful throb. "Kurt, you stand right behind Finn, and take this." She passed a giant dagger to Kurt and his brother paled visibly as he took it and stared at his reflection in the blade.

"What's this for?" He asked with a shaking voice.

"Everything will be explained once we're ready to start the ritual," Blaine said softly. "Just stand here." Blaine put Kurt in his place, then stood in front of Finn, looking solemn.

"Now, everyone needs to take off their clothes." With a groan, Finn knew he should have predicted this little detail and immediately shucked off his clothing.

Kurt, however, was not too keen on the idea.

"I have to do what?" He complained loudly, his face still pale as he clutched the dagger in his hand. From his shocked response it seemed as if Blaine had told him to plunge the dagger in his own chest.

"Babe, we don't have the time to explain the 'whys,' you just have to trust us and do what we say." Kurt looked like he wanted to argue, but he obliged his boyfriend anyway and started taking off the many layers of his outfit. Finn turned away to give his brother some modesty and didn't turn around again.

Because right now, his focus was solely on Rachel.

She was naked too, but that wasn't why he was staring. He had seen her naked enough times to know what to expect, but she was standing in front of Blaine with the rope in her hands and hope in her eyes. She looked so confident, so sure of herself, he couldn't tear his eyes from her. It gave him hope, a hope he held very close to his heart as it chased away the fear and doubt lingering there.

"Stay calm, Finn. I can tell already that your aura is starting to cloud."

"I can feel it, Rachel. It's coming," he admitted freely, knowing how to recognize the signs. She wrapped the rope around his naked waist and made a complicated knot around his midriff, securing it onto his body and tugging lightly to make test it's strength before stepping out of the pentagram. With Kurt behind him and Rachel and Blaine in front, he felt as protected as he was going to get as the pain in his head increased tenfold. With an anguished scream, he clutched at his head, feeling weakened but still determined to fight. It was hard trying to keep his balance when his head felt like it was splitting in half, but he stood his ground and waited for the ritual to begin.

Rachel had the rope in her hands and Blaine stood behind her, holding the rope like they were about to play a one-sided game of tug-of-war. The pain in his head started traveling down his neck and into his torso, hitting his gut and making him double over while more of his body became incapacitated. He looked up at Rachel and she was already in the throes of the ritual, her mouth moving in a silent chant with Blaine at her side. They were holding the rope tightly, like they were about to pull at any moment, and Finn could see his aura flare up around him like lights on a Christmas tree. It was an angry red, with dark swirls that became more and more prominent with every moment that passed.

"What's going on?" Kurt asked, obviously terrified, but no one answered as Rachel and Blaine's chanting became louder.

All of a sudden, it felt like his head was splitting in half- no, to be more specific, it felt like his entire body was being split in half. He could feel his muscles pulling, his bones aching, and every part of his body was in the worst agony he had ever felt before. A loud, violent scream was ripped from his throat, but the voice that echoed in his ears was unfamiliar to him as a guttural roar could be heard.

"Pull!" Rachel suddenly screamed._ "Pull now!"_

Finn opened his eyes to see Rachel and Blaine pulling on the rope, and it felt like Finn was being cinched right through the middle as the rope burned against his skin. They were pulling so hard he felt as if they were trying to sever him in half, but with wide eyes he watched the rope slip right through his body and come out the other side through his stomach, though his skin was completely unscathed.

But resting inside of the complicated knot of the rope, struggling against its binding, was the demon who had made his life a literal living hell, fighting against the rope that trapped him. With wide eyes Kurt stared at the growling, feral demon, it's hairless body squirming for escape and trying to free it's limbs.

"Kurt, the dagger!" Blaine screamed, still holding onto the rope with Rachel and trying to keep the demon steady. "Stab it!"

Kurt was practically frozen from fear, and Finn was staring at the demon in the rope while his hands brushed over his midriff to make sure that he had actually come out of the ritual unscathed. Right before his very eyes was the proof that Rachel's ritual had worked, and as he breathed in a lungful of air the clarity in his head made his heart soar in his chest.

He was _free._

But he would never truly be free until the demon itself was destroyed, so while Kurt stood crippled from fear, Finn turned around and snatched the dagger out of his hands before plunging it deep into the bony, emaciated back of the demon that had plagued his life for so long. It let out a howl of utter agony, curling in on itself while black blood poured freely from the wound. It crumpled to the floor, the rope still around it's waist as it moaned and cried in strangled tones. Finn winced when it let out its last wheezing breath, filling the space with a putrid odor as it's body instantly began to decompose in front of their very eyes.

When the body was nothing but a pile of smoldering ashes, Finn and his friends let out a giant, collective sigh of relief.

Their ordeal was finally over.

The demon was gone.

* * *

**Two Weeks Later**

"Ahhh!" A sudden, piercing scream bled through the thin walls and rudely lifted Rachel out of her slumber, and despite the calm, peaceful dream she had just been engrossed in, she crashed out of the air with a thud and plopped onto the not-so-soft mattress of her boyfriend, Finn. He followed shortly thereafter with a loud groan to accompany his fall.

"Wha wuz that?" He mumbled incoherently, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. It was very early, but she could feel the contentment of his aura and the peace that had settled in there. For the past two weeks since Halloween everything had been blissfully normal in their lives and to be honest, Rachel never wanted it to change.

Well, it was as normal as their lives could be with two magical beings in their quartet.

Another short yell could be heard, and it filled Rachel with an uneasiness she hadn't felt in weeks. Fearing the absolute worst, she ignored her boyfriends sleepy questions and launched herself out of bed, heading into the hallway and facing Kurt and Blaine's door. The shouting could still be heard from outside the door, and forgoing modesty (she had seen them both naked anyway) she burst into the room with her hands raised, ready to fight against anything that might be a threat to her, Finn, or the peace of their apartment.

She had fought _way_ too hard to get to this point and she was not about to jeopardize her tranquility for anything.

But the sight that greeted her instantly chased all of her fears out of the window. Floating above his bed, Finn's brother Kurt was clinging onto his boyfriend Blaine's body, frozen in air, looking down at the mattress like he was miles above the ground instead of a few feet.

"Rachel!" Kurt spotted her immediately and reached down for her hand. "Please, get me down from here!"

"Sorry, Kurt, this has nothing to do with me." She chuckled heartily while Finn's tall body filled the door frame behind her. Finn took one look at his brother and Blaine and almost doubled over in hysterics.

"Don't worry, babe, I can get us down." Blaine said as he stretched languidly in the air. Kurt held onto him like he was about to plunge to his death.

"This is ridiculous!" He exclaimed loudly.

"No," Finn said, wrapping his arms around Rachel's shoulders and holding onto her from behind. "It's love." The petite witch looked up at the man behind her in silent surprise. "It's the connection you two have made with one another. You should be happy about this, Kurt."

"I am happy!" He snapped, still holding onto Blaine's side while he started to mouth a simple spell. "But falling in love should not mean I have to fall on my ass every morning."

"Think of it as one of the perks of dating a warlock," Rachel said, trying to find her voice since Finn had suddenly stolen it away from her. His words were echoing in her mind, making her heart race uncontrollably as she thought about the implications of his statement.

Did Finn feel that way about their tether? Was he in love with her? Just the mere thought made it feel like Rachel could fly to the moon and back as she looked up and stared into his warm, chestnut eyes. The smile on his face was small, but genuine as they exited the room, leaving Blaine and Kurt to handle their own magical problems by themselves. He led them into the kitchen to brew some coffee and Rachel could no longer keep her racing thoughts to herself.

"So," she said, starting the conversation but having nothing of substance to say.

"So," he responded, loading the grinds into the coffee pot with a knowing smirk on his face.

"It seems like Kurt and Blaine have formed a tether of their own."

"Yeah," Finn said wistfully, but his smile turned into a frown. "I hope nothing bad has happened to either of them."

"No, sometimes a tether can be formed just from having a really strong connection," she said, a blush brightening her cheeks. "Like you said. I think they're in love."

"Yeah," he agreed. "I've never seen Kurt this happy before."

Rachel hesitated for a moment before speaking again, not wanting to be so vulnerable around him when he had the power to destroy her with one simple answer. "Well what about our tether?" She asked, her heart hammering against her ribcage in anticipation. "We know it never went away after the exorcism because you still float next to me when we sleep in the same bed. What do you think about that?" Finn finally looked up from the coffee pot, a small smile on his face as he walked away from the counter and approached her slowly. There was still an adorable sleepiness lingering in his eyes and his morning stubble left a light shadow on his face.

"I think it's awesome, Rachel." He entwined their fingers together until they were holding hands. "You're the most special, unique, and beautiful girl I've ever known," he took a deep breath and caught her in his gaze. "And I'm pretty sure I fell in love with you the moment I figured out how to recharge your magical batteries." His grin was wide and wolfish as a heated blush erupted on her cheeks.

"You love me?" The shock was enough to keep her frozen in place as pure emotion flooded her system, making her pounding heart feel like it might burst right out of her chest.

"Yeah, I do," he said softly, kissing their entwined hands. "You saved me, Rachel. In all the ways I could be saved. You opened my eyes to new things and kept me balanced and whole, even when it felt like I was being ripped apart." He held her close to him and kissed her once, softly but firmly, capturing her lips in his and pouring his affections into the kiss. She could feel them permeate her, filling her with the deepest emotion she had ever felt as she pulled away and looked him in the eyes.

"I love you too, Finn," she whispered, choking through the emotion in her throat that threatened to silence her. "You accepted me, you cared about me, and you never gave up the fight against evil." She chuckled lightly as a tear slipped past her eye. "Plus, besides that first day, you didn't even accuse me of using magic on you!"

"It wouldn't have mattered even if you did, babe," he said to her before closing the distance and kissing her once more. "You've had me spellbound right from the start."

* * *

**THE END**


End file.
